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You are here: Home / cookies / Spritz Cookies with Browned Butter and Chinese Five Spice

Spritz Cookies with Browned Butter and Chinese Five Spice

September 5, 2017 By Laura 14 Comments

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Spritz Cookies with Browned Butter, Chinese 5 Spice and Apple Brandy!

Spritz Cookies with Browned Butter and Chinese Five Spice are unique, autumnal and delicious–and perfect for a bake sale inspired by #CookiesforKidsCancer. I received some tools from OXO for the purpose of reviewing them and promoting Cookies for Kids Cancer. Because I already own their fabulous cookie press, I have given it away to a lucky reader (see below). Affiliate links have been used to link to items I am discussing.

Spritz Cookies with Browned Butter, Chinese 5 Spice and Apple Brandy!

I first wrote about Cookies for Kids Cancer in 2011, and I have continued to support them almost every fall since. The stats have changed a little bit, but in general everything I wrote then still stands. I have been affected by childhood cancer (I lost 2 cousins to it) and even if I had not, as a parent it is an organization that I would support. I love that OXO gets everyone excited about supporting it as well every fall through baking cookies. And if supporting cancer research through cookie bake sales sounds crazy to you? Cookies for Kids Cancer has provided over $7 million in grants since its inception in 2008. Every year since 2011, OXO has pledged up to $100,000 to match funds raised by Cookies for Kids Cancer bake sales. So I hope you check out the link if it sounds like something you would be interested in.

Spritz Cookies with Browned Butter, Chinese 5 Spice and Apple Brandy!

I am particularly proud of these spritz cookies. From a “baking as chemistry” perspective, I have used the same fabulous basic cookie press cookie that I adapted from Nancy Baggett–and if you are looking for a review of the OXO Good Grips Cookie Press with Stainless Steel Disks and Storage Case that I am giving away, that basic cookie press cookie post is a great place to start. But what I am proud of is the flavor combination I came up with. I wanted the butter to be browned, but I wanted a little bit more going on. However, I did not want a spice profile that was so strong that it overwhelmed or fought with the browned butter. Likewise for the apple brandy. When my dad tried them, he could not pick out any of the three flavors individually, and for me that meant I succeeded. The three flavor notes of browned butter, Chinese Five Spice (see the notes in the recipe for the exact spices in my blend) and apple brandy worked to create something new and delicious. My family often nibbles slowly at this kind of butter cookie, but these disappeared within days at my house.

Spritz Cookies with Browned Butter, Chinese 5 Spice and Apple Brandy on OXO cookie sheet

As mentioned OXO sent me some tools to try out and write about in this post. One of them, the cookie press, I already owned so I ran a giveaway in order to share it with one of my lucky readers! They also sent their OXO Good Grips Cookie Press Autumn Disk Set, which was super exciting, their OXO Good Grips Silicone Cookie Spatula, and their OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Pro Cookie Sheet. The disc set was exciting just because I love having holiday options, and in addition to the leaves it also includes discs appropriate for Halloween and Thanksgiving. The cookie sheet is what I was super curious about, and so I actually baked my spritz cookies on three different surfaces: a standard, heavy rimmed nonstick baking sheet by a reputable brand, the OXO cookie sheet (pictured above) and a standard heavy baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. The OXO cookie sheet as you can see has a pebbled texture to it in addition to being nonstick and yes that made a difference. The spritz cookies released super easily from both the silicone mat and the OXO cookie sheet. I did not even need the spatula! I am super impressed with this cookie sheet and curious to try it with a drop cookie, like a chocolate chip cookie.

Spritz Cookies with Browned Butter, Chinese 5 Spice and Apple Brandy!

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Spritz Cookies with Browned Butter, Chinese 5 Spice and Apple Brandy!

5 from 3 votes
Spritz Cookies with Browned Butter, Chinese 5 Spice and Apple Brandy!
Print
Spritz Cookies with Browned Butter and Chinese Five Spice

Adapted from The Spiced Life.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Cookies
Author: The Spiced Life
Ingredients
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, browned
  • scant 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 T apple brandy
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 T Chinese 5 Spice*
  • ¼ t salt
  • 2⅓ cups (294 g) AP flour
  • 1 T milk, not skim, if needed (I did need)
  • pink, red, orange and gold sanding sugar if desired for autumn cookies
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Do NOT grease cookie sheets for this recipe, but parchment paper or silicone mats are fine. Have some cookie sheets ready. 

  2. Brown the butter and let cool for 5 minutes.

  3. Mix the sugar into the butter--by hand is fine. Mix until incorporated. (If you use an electric mixer, do not beat a lot of air into the mixture.)

  4. Once the sugar has dissolved, mix in the apple brandy.

  5. Beat in the egg yolks and salt until incorporated.
  6. Whisk the Chinese 5 Spice into the flour.

  7. Gradually stir in the flour by hand: you are aiming for a dough that is not super soft, but also not too stiff to push through the cookie press. If the dough seems too stiff or crumbly, add more milk, ½ tablespoon at a time. Mine took an extra 1 tablespoon total.

  8. Fill the tube of your cookie press and press the cookies out onto the un-greased cookie sheets, about 1½ inches apart. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar if using.

  9. Bake for 12-16 minutes, until lightly browning at the edges. Rotate sheets if necessary for even browning.
  10. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
  11. Cool completely before storing.
Recipe Notes

*I used Penzey's Chinese Five Spice, which is a combination of Chinese cinnamon (cassia), star anise, anise seed, ginger and cloves. You could make your own blend from those 5 spices or you could experiment with other blends. Do note that mine did not include Sichuan peppercorns, so these cookies as I made them are not at all hot. 

 

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Spritz Cookies with Browned Butter, Chinese 5 Spice and Apple Brandy!

Filed Under: blog events, Boozy Desserts, browned butter, Cookie Press, cookies, Holiday and Christmas Cookies, reviews, Spice Blends, Tools Tagged With: #CookiesForKidsCancer, apple brandy, brandy, browned butter, chinese 5 spice, Chinese five spice, cookie press, cookies, Cookies for Kids' Cancer, spritz cookies

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Comments

  1. Annette says

    September 6, 2017 at 2:17 am

    5 stars
    I’d make them for Thanksgiving.

    Reply
  2. Jen says

    September 6, 2017 at 9:47 am

    I would make them for Hanukkah!

    Reply
  3. Pete Mathis says

    September 6, 2017 at 2:58 pm

    Halloween cookies!

    Reply
  4. Mary Pearce says

    September 6, 2017 at 6:00 pm

    I would make them for Christmas Eve with my grandsons.

    Reply
  5. mother/ bauma says

    September 8, 2017 at 1:24 pm

    I’m curious about the cookie sheet. Would it fit in a dishwasher, and is it dishwasher safe? Could it be used to roast vegetables as well as bake cookies, or would that ruin it?

    Reply
    • Laura says

      September 12, 2017 at 12:03 am

      It is great for roasting vegetables–but notice the rim is not very deep for containing juices. The cookie sheet is NOT dishwasher safe.

      Reply
  6. Felice says

    September 9, 2017 at 12:43 pm

    I really like them at Christmas, but I would be willing to make up a holiday just to enjoy some 😉

    Reply
  7. Leila says

    September 9, 2017 at 3:45 pm

    Would love to make some for Christmas!!

    Reply
  8. Robert says

    September 9, 2017 at 9:50 pm

    Spritz cookies are a Christmas go-to for me! Last year, I made about 15 dozen of them – both “regular” and gluten free.

    Reply
  9. Jennifer Essad says

    September 10, 2017 at 8:35 pm

    5 stars
    I love making spritz cookies with my mom for Thanksgiving and Christmas – your recipe sounds delicious, using 5 spice will make them perfect for afternoon tea

    Reply
  10. Rosie says

    September 13, 2017 at 3:55 pm

    5 stars
    Every holiday and birthdays and just for fun! I love making cookies, we had a press when we were kids, it was nice to use!

    Reply
  11. Jeffrey says

    September 16, 2017 at 8:26 pm

    With the holidays quickly approaching I would like to make Spritz Cookies for Thanksgiving.

    Reply
  12. Katherine Lee says

    September 23, 2017 at 3:05 am

    I’d like to make them for Christmas!

    Reply
  13. Samantha Martin says

    September 23, 2017 at 6:59 pm

    I would make them for every up coming holiday and not to mention a tuesday night or a good grade brought in !!

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Laura and I am a recovering history major who has re-channeled all of my passion for learning about the history of different countries to learning about their food culture. That doesn’t mean every dish on here is strictly authentic, but it does mean that even my adaptations are not undertaken lightly. My goal is to show you–by doing–that these dishes are possible in your kitchen. Including desserts because I have quite the sweet tooth! Read More…

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