COOKIE OF THE WEEK: Coconut Spritz Butter Cookies

I posted a recipe for Spritz cookies long ago on this blog.  They are delicious and super cute.  I love them because you can color them to match your theme.  I made them for my son’s Milk and Cookies First Birthday Party in orange and blue.  I’ve made them for another party in bright spring colors.  Recently, I decided to make some to match a display table I was putting together for a church event.  But I thought it would be fun to change up the flavor and make them coconut spritz.  They turned out super delicious, so I thought I would share the recipe.

Spritz are a butter cookie made with a cookie press.  You can pop them out by the dozens in a very short amount of time.  If you don’t have a press, I recommend getting one.  I got mine at Michael’s using a 40% off coupon a few years ago.  If you don’t want to buy one, you can still make these.  Just roll the dough in small balls.  They are very tasty.

A word of caution: Be sure to remove them from the pan right away, about 1 minute after they come out of the oven, using a flat metal spatula.  My first pan I waited too long and they all broke coming off.  You could also bake them on parchment paper, but you have to hold the paper down as you press each cookie out and it’s a little difficult.

Coconut Spritz Cookies:

Yield: 6-7 dozen

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/4 cups shredded coconut, processed finely in food processor
• food coloring (optional)

Directions:  Preheat oven to 375.  Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.  Beat in egg, milk, vanilla, coconut extract until thoroughly combined.  Add flour, baking powder, and finely processed coconut.  Color dough to desired hue.  VERY lightly spray a cookie tray with Pam.  Use a paper towel to wipe it all away.  Using a cookie press press out cookies onto baking sheet.  Alternately, roll 1 tsp. dough into a ball and place on cookie sheet 1.5” apart.  Bake for about 10 minutes until edges just start to brown slightly.  Remove from oven, cool, one minute, and remove to wire rack to cool completely.