These Lemon Cats’ Paws are a sophisticated twist on classic spritz cookies, featuring a tender, nutty dough infused with bright lemon zest and vanilla. The shortbread-like cookies are piped into elegant paw shapes, baked until lightly golden, and then sandwiched with a layer of smooth, dark Swiss chocolate. The combination of the crisp, buttery cookie texture and the rich, slightly bitter chocolate creates a perfect balance of sweet and savory notes. Ideal for holiday gatherings, tea parties, or as a thoughtful gift, these cookies offer a professional finish with approachable home-baking charm. They store well, making them perfect for advance preparation.
Lemon Cats’ Paws (Spritz Variation)
Description
These Lemon Cats' Paws are a sophisticated twist on classic spritz cookies, featuring a tender, nutty dough infused with bright lemon zest and vanilla. The shortbread-like cookies are piped into elegant paw shapes, baked until lightly golden, and then sandwiched with a layer of smooth, dark Swiss chocolate. The combination of the crisp, buttery cookie texture and the rich, slightly bitter chocolate creates a perfect balance of sweet and savory notes. Ideal for holiday gatherings, tea parties, or as a thoughtful gift, these cookies offer a professional finish with approachable home-baking charm. They store well, making them perfect for advance preparation.Directions
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Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F (191°C).
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Place three heavy, large baking sheets in the refrigerator to chill.
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In a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade, process the sliced almonds with 1 cup of the flour for 30 to 45 seconds, or until the mixture is ground to a fine powder.
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Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour, granulated sugar, confectioners' sugar, and salt.
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Process for 10 to 15 seconds, or until the dry ingredients are thoroughly blended.
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Evenly distribute the chilled butter cubes in a circle around the chopping blade.
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Add the chilled egg, vanilla extract, and lemon zest.
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Process for 45 to 60 seconds, or until the mixture is creamy and the butter is completely blended into the dough.
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Fill a pastry bag fitted with a closed star tip (such as Ateco #6) with one-fourth of the cookie dough. Slightly open the teeth on the end of the pastry tip to prevent nut particles from getting caught.
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Remove a chilled baking sheet from the refrigerator.
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Starting at the left-hand side of the midsection of the baking sheet, pipe 1 1/2-inch long "cats' paws" about 2 inches apart across the center of the baking sheet. Continue piping until the bottom half of the sheet is covered.
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Turn the baking sheet 180 degrees and continue piping cats' paws onto the other half of the baking sheet.
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Refrigerate the baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the piped cookie dough is firm.
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Pipe the rest of the cookie dough onto the remaining chilled baking sheets and refrigerate.
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Bake the cookies one baking sheet at a time for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Turn the baking sheet halfway through baking for even browning.
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Using a metal spatula, immediately transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
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Melt the dark chocolate according to package instructions or temper it following standard tempering methods. Scrape the chocolate mixture into a small heatproof bowl.
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Place the bowl of chocolate over a smaller bowl of warm water (86°F to 90°F) to keep it fluid.
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Using a small metal spatula, coat the flat side of half of the cookies with a thin layer of melted chocolate.
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Top each chocolate-coated cookie half with a second cookie to form a sandwich.
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Place the assembled cookies on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chocolate is set.
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Dip the pointed tips of the cookies halfway into the melted chocolate.
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Place the cookies back onto the waxed paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chocolate is set.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 1 cups
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 88kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 3.9g6%
- Saturated Fat 2.0g10%
- Cholesterol 11mg4%
- Sodium 73mg4%
- Total Carbohydrate 11.5g4%
- Dietary Fiber 1.5g6%
- Sugars 6.8g
- Protein 1.2g3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
almond, butter, chocolate, cookie, dark, dessert, lemon, piped, shortbread, spritz, swiss, vanilla, zest
