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picture this a cookie so light and
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buttery it practically dissolves on your
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tongue leaving behind a bright citrusy
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burst of lemon sounds irresistible right
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what if I told you that you could whip
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up these delightful lemon spritz cookies
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with just a few simple
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delicate melt in your mouth treats are
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occasion whether you're celebrating or
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simply indulging in something
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special stick with me and let's create
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first things first I start by mixing up
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this incredible dough in a medium Bowl I
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whisk together 1 and 3/4 cups allpurpose
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flour this is the foundation of my
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cookies providing just the right
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structure for a soft tender bite I add
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half a teaspoon of salt because a little
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bit of salt makes a huge difference
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enhancing all the flavors and keeping
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the sweetness from overwhelming the
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cookie next I stir in half a teaspoon
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baking powder to give the cookies just a
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bit of lift so they stay light instead
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dense then I add 1/2 teaspoon cream of
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tartar this not only works as a
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leavening agent but also gives a subtle
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Tang that pairs beautifully with the
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lemon now on to the wet ingredients in a
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large mixing bowl I whisk together half
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a cup melted and cooled unsalted butter
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butter is what gives these cookies their
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richness and that homemade goodness I
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add 1 cup granulated sugar which not
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only sweetens the cookies but also helps
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create that perfect crumbly texture
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whisking everything together until
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smooth and glossy is key I make sure the
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butter and sugar are fully Incorporated
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next I stir in half cup Cream Cheese
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room temperature and whisk until the
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mixture is light light and creamy the
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cream cheese adds extra softness and a
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slight Tang that makes these cookies
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irresistible I need to separate the egg
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yolk from the white first I carefully
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crack an egg into a small bowl making
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sure not to break the yolk then using a
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slotted spoon I gently scoop up the yolk
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allowing the egg white to drain through
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slots once the yolk is fully separated I
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transfer it to another Bowl ensuring a
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clean separation for my
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recipe now I add one large egg yolk
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using just the yolk gives the cookies a
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rich texture without making them too
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cakey for even more lemony goodness I
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add 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract optional
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if you love a bold Citrus punch this is
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a must then I mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla
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extract which adds warmth and depth
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balancing out the bright Citrus flavors
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I always start with fresh firm lemons
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before zesting I give them a good wash
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and dry them since lemon juice can be
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rough on the skin I like to wear
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disposable vinyl gloves while handling
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them the acidity can leave my hands
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feeling dry or irritated especially if I
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cuts for zest I use a fine grater
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microplane or Citrus zester I like to
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zest directly over the large mixing bowl
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so all those fragrant oils and zest go
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straight into the batter I hold the
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lemon firmly and gently Drag The Grater
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surface rotating as I go the key is to
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only zest the outermost yellow layer
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avoiding the bitter white pith
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underneath here's an important tip to
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keep in mind for this recipe baking
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spritz cookies at high altitudes require
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slight adjustments to make maintain the
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right texture and prevent excessive
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spreading at elevations above 3,500 ft
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lower air pressure can cause cookies to
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spread more quickly and bake
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faster to compensate I reduce the sugar
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slightly and add one to two extra
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tablespoons of flour to help the dough
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hold its shape I also decrease the
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baking powder or baking soda by about
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1/8 teaspoon to prevent the cookies from
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from puffing up too much at lower
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altitudes cookies may need a slightly
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longer baking time so I adjust as
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necessary while keeping a close watch
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regardless of altitude I test a small
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batch first to fine tune both the dough
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and baking time for the best results
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once I have enough CEST it's time for
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the juice I roll the lemons on the
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counter while pressing down with my palm
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this helps break down the membranes
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inside making them easier to juice then
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I cut them in half and squeeze out half
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of the lemon juice instead of the full
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amount because I don't want the lemon
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flavor to be too overpowering in the
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cookies the balance of flavors is key
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immediately my kitchen fills with the
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bright fresh scent of citrus such a
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moment check out the description below
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for the full recipe step-by-step
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instructions and links to all the tools
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I use to make the cookies from the
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perfect cookie press to the best baking
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sheets I've got everything covered to
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help you get the best
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results finally I gradually mix in the
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dry ingredients stirring just until
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combined I'm careful not to over mix the
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key to light and tender cookies is
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stopping as soon as I no longer see
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streaks of flour and just like that my
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lemon cookie dough is ready to go
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achieving the perfect shape for spritz
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cookies comes down to three key factors
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dough consistency proper technique and
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room temperature if the dough is too
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soft the cookies May spread excessively
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and lose their shape if it's too firm
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pressing it through the cookie press can
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become a struggle room temperature plays
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a crucial role in shaping spritz cookies
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if the kitchen is too warm the dough May
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soften too much causing the cookies to
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lose their definition in the oven on the
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other hand if the environment is too
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cold the dough can become too stiff
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making it difficult to press keeping the
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kitchen temperature between 68 to 72° F
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20 to 22° Celsius helps maintain the
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consistency before I begin I always
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check the temperature in my kitchen just
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a few degrees can make a noticeable
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difference in how the dough behaves I
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start by lining a baking sheet with
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parchment paper to prevent sticking then
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I fill my cookie press with the prepared
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dough making sure it's packed evenly to
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avoid air pockets before pressing the
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full batch I test one cookie to assess
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consistency if the dough is too soft and
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sticks to the Press instead of releasing
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cleanly I place the loaded press in the
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fridge for 5 to 8 minutes to firm up the
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slightly if the dough is too stiff and
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difficult to press out I let it sit in a
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spot for a few minutes to soften just
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enough for smooth pressing holding the
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Press firmly against the cool parchment
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lined baking sheet I press the handle
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evenly to release a well-shaped cookie
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if the dough isn't sticking to the sheet
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I leave about 1 inch between each cookie
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to allow for slight spreading while
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baking once all the cookies are piped I
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chill the entire baking sheet for 15 15
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baking this extra step helps the cookies
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hold their intricate designs and
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prevents excessive spreading in the
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oven a small tip to ensure uniform
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cookies I work in batches pressing all
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the cookies onto the baking sheet before
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placing it in the oven this prevents the
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dough from warming up too much in my
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hands which could affect the consistency
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inconsistencies in shape by pause chill
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the dough briefly and then continue
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pressing shaping spritz cookies takes a
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little practice but once you get the
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feel for it the process becomes smooth
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and enjoyable with the right techniques
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and a little patience you will have
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beautifully shaped Bakery quality
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cookies every time once the spritz
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cookies are shaped and chilled it's time
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to bake them to Golden perfection
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I always start by preheating the oven to
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175° c to ensure even baking and help
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the cookies hold their intricate
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designs I place the baking sheet on the
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middle rack for even heat
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distribution since spritz cookies are
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delicate and bake quickly I keep a close
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eye on them they typically need 10 to 12
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minutes pending on on their size and
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thickness I look for the edges to turn
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lightly golden while ensuring they don't
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over Brown since ovens vary I always
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check the cookies at the 9 Minute Mark
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and add an extra minute or two if
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needed to prevent uneven
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baking I bake one tray at a time
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allowing each batch to bake evenly
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without temperature fluctuations
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these cookies are seriously the perfect
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little treat to brighten up your day
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whether you're sharing them with friends
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or sneaking one or three with your
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afternoon tea and if you love lemon as
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much as I do you're going to want to
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stick around for my next video I'll be
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making a lemon bunt cake that's soft
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moist and covered in the most amazing
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Tangy Sweet glaze trust me you don't
13:29
want to miss it so hit that subscribe
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button and let me know how your cookies
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turned out happy baking and I'll catch
