Thanks to a friend on Facebook I learned that today is National Chocolate Covered Anything Day. So many things are made even better by simply covering them with chocolate. There is chocolate covered peanut butter things like Buckeyes, classic chocolate covered cherries, chocolate covered pretzels to even chocolate covered bacon and potato chips. Chocolate covered things are generally good and something I like to make and my family enjoys eating. During Christmas I like to dip all the things in chocolate including my favorite spritz cookie, Snow Flakes.
About 8 years ago I discovered the recipe for Snow Flakes Spritz and they became an instant Christmas cookie must have for my family. Spritz cookies are delicate little buttery shortbread cookies that are Swedish. They are pretty simple to make but you do need a cookie press or as my kids call it a cookie gun to make them. There are all different types of cookie presses out there but I will tell you I use a basic manual cookie press with a trigger handle (hence why my kids call it a cookie gun) although I do own a vintage Mirro dial a cookie press that was my husband’s grandmother’s. I just need to learn how to use that vintage press. With the cookie press it allows you to press a large amount of cookies in a short time in a variety of shapes. Then the cookies can be decorated either before or after baking. Therefore making it look like you spent hours making fancy cookies.
Snow Flakes Spritz are a bit more special than your typical spritz cookie in my opinion. They are more than just a simple butter cookie. The dough is peppered with orange peel and cinnamon has been sprinkled in as well. Add chocolate into the mix and you have one mighty tiny yet tasty explosion of flavor going on. I know I have a hard time eating just one and that is why I had to add them to my 12 days of Homemade Christmas. Something this good deserves to be shared! Oh and did I mention they are gluten free also! Add them to your must bake Christmas cookie list and amaze your friends with how delicious they are.
- 1 cup butter
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 2½ cups gluten free all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- *Optional*
- food coloring,colored sugar, nonpareils,other sprinkles
- or
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1TB shortening
- Carefully melt chocolate and shortening together in either microwave or using a double boiler.
- In a medium bowl, cream together butter, cream cheese,sugar and fresh orange zest. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Continue beating until light and fluffy. Gradually stir in flour, salt,xanthan gum and cinnamon.
- Optional- if desired dough can be dyed different colors with food coloring.
- Fill the cookie press, and form cookies on ungreased cookie sheet.
- Optional- If desired sprinkle with colored sugar, nonpareils or other sprinkles.
- Bake in preheated oven for approximately 12 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet, and cool on wire racks.
- Optional- If desired dip or drizzle cookies in melted chocolate. Sprinkle with nonpareils or other sprinkles.
Adapted from Snow Flakes on Allrecipes.com