Christmas is just around the corner and the anticipation for the holiday season grows with each day. I spend the last few days in the kitchen; baking cookies for my family, for friends and workmates. Lets start the festive spirit with two of them; the crisp and buttery spritz cookies, dipped in dark chocolate and the walnut stars with the crumbly and light texture.
Makes about 50 Spritz cookies
- 375 g flour
- 250 butter, very soft and room temperature
- 150 confectioners sugar
- 120 ml milk, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 vanilla pod
- 250 g dark chocolate couverture
Preheat the oven to 180° C and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
With a spatula beat the butter and the confectioners sugar in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
Add the milk and the vanilla extract and whisk together.
With a sharp knife slit open the vanilla pod and scrape out the pith.
Sift the flour and fold in the flour and the vanilla pith with a spatula to the batter gently.
Transfer the dough to piping bag with a star-shaped opening and press out into rounds on the cookie sheet.
Let the piped cookies stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to let the crust forms.
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes.
Melt the chocolate couverture gently and dip the cookies carefully in the chocolate.
Let the chocolate set and harden.
Makes about 80 walnut cookies
- 125 g walnuts, finely chopped
- 375 g flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 125 g sugar
- 250 g cold butter
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks
- grated zest of 1 lemon
Quickly knead the flour, baking powder, sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, salt and butter together until crumbly.
Add the egg, one egg yolk and the lemon zest and knead into a smooth dough.
Wrap the dough in a plastic bag and let it rest in a cool place for about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180° C and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Roll the dough out on flour until it is about 3 mm thick. Use the cutter to cut out star shapes and then place the stars on the lined baking sheet. Re-roll the trimmings until all the dough is used.
Brush the cookies with the remaining egg yolk and bake them for about 14 minutes..
Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Happy baking and a MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Just to let you know, I’ve made your walnut cookies a few times already and I Love them! Thank you very much for the recipe!! I look forward to trying other ones soon! 🙂
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Hi Yana, thank you so much! I’m glad you like the cookies and the recipe. Happy baking, Bridget
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Delicious looking cookies. I love chocolate!
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Thank you Liz! Have a nice weekend, warmly Bridget
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Hi Bridget! Wondeful blog and cookies!:)
Cheers,
Mila
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Thank you so much for stopping by, I’m glad you liked it! Warmly, Bridget
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Yummm…I am going to try the chocolate walnut stars for Valentine’s Day only I am making them in hearts. Thank you for the recipe.
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Looks like you had a delicious Christmas!
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Oh we did; we all need a diet 🙂 Thank you so much for stopping by and a lovely weekend, Bridget
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These look so delicious….lovely for a festive season! 🙂
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Thank you Ayesha for stopping by, I’m glad you like it! Happy New Year and warm regards, Bridget
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These look beautiful! Happy holidays!
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Thank you so much, and a merry Christmas and a happy new Year to you too. Warm regards, Bridget
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My dear Bridget…how I wish I could share with you a few hours….baking biscuits!! Perhaps it’s the simplicity of the biscuits that make want baking with you…or the fact we have always had a wonderful and sincere dialogue during this year. I want to thank you for everything, and wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas….
Warmly, Luana
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My dear friend, thank you so much for your kind words. I hope, someday in the near future, we will cook and bake together, drink a lot of tasting wine and will have wonderful conversations! Have a merry and cheerful Christmas and a happy and healthy new Year! Love and kisses, Bridget
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What a magnificent spread of cookies! :3
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Thank you, I’m glad you like it! Happy holidays and warm regards, Bridget
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so many glossy, pretty cookies! Hope Santa is kind to you & your new year wonderful.
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Thank you so much! I wish you a merry Christmas and a wonderful and healthy new year too!
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You’ve been baking up a storm in the kitchen! I’ve always wanted to make sprtiz cookies and will definitely have to add your recipe to my “to bake” list for 2014!
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Hi Heather, oh yes, after 3 days my kitchen looked like a tornado went through… :-)) Thank you much for stopping by and happy holidays!
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What lovely looking recipes! I’m super tempted by the walnut stars – they look perfect 🙂
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Thank you, I’m glad you like it! The walnut cookies are pretty delicious indeed and so quick and easy to prepare. Warm regards, Bridget
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Wow these look amazing! Almost too pretty to eat 🙂
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Thank you, I appriciate! Warm regards, Bridget
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Reblogged this on simplyvegetarian777 and commented:
Christmas cookies
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Wow, I feel very honored that you reblogged my post on your Blog! Thank you so much! Warm regards, Bridget
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🙂 my pleasure
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Lovely.. I am saving the recipes.. Simple to do and festive 🙂
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Many thanks! Wish you a wonderful day, warm regards, Bridget
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Happy Holidays Bridget 🙂
Cheers
Sonal
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They all look great. Do we get the rest of the recipes tomorrow?
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Thank you much for stopping by, the rest will follow… soon.. 🙂
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yums … just yums
http://www.fashionforlunch.net
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Thank you 🙂
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Beautiful cookies, beautifully arranged.
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Thank you so much Fae, I appriciate! Warm regards, Bridget
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Love the cookies, Bridget, especially the walnut stars. I don’t have the recipe for them, so thanks! Sounds so scrumptious and fresh with the lemon zest. XOXO, Angie.
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Hi Angie, the walnut cookies are scrumptious indeed! And so easy and quick to prepare! Thank you so much for stopping by, kind regards, Bridget
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I just finished baking my Sprtiz cookies but still have time to try the walnut stars.
Lillian
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Hello Lillian, thank you for stopping by and let me know how you liked the walnut cookies! Kind regards, Bridget
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Beautiful, as always. Shame on me for not knowing this already but…do you own a bakery?
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Thank you so much Leilani! Good no, it is just a little hobby of mine 🙂 Warm regards, Bridget
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