Lemon Cats’ Paws (Spritz Variation)

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.

Cooking Method: Baking

Cuisine: American

Courses: Desserts

Difficulty: Advanced

Servings: 1

Calories: 88

Dietary: Vegetarian

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

1
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F (191°C).
2
Place three heavy, large baking sheets in the refrigerator to chill.
3
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.
4
Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour, granulated sugar, confectioners' sugar, and salt.
5
Process for 10 to 15 seconds, or until the dry ingredients are thoroughly blended.
6
Evenly distribute the chilled butter cubes in a circle around the chopping blade.
7
Add the chilled egg, vanilla extract, and lemon zest.
8
Process for 45 to 60 seconds, or until the mixture is creamy and the butter is completely blended into the dough.
9
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.
10
Remove a chilled baking sheet from the refrigerator.
11
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.
12
Turn the baking sheet 180 degrees and continue piping cats' paws onto the other half of the baking sheet.
13
Refrigerate the baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the piped cookie dough is firm.
14
Pipe the rest of the cookie dough onto the remaining chilled baking sheets and refrigerate.
15
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.
16
Using a metal spatula, immediately transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
17
Melt the dark chocolate according to package instructions or temper it following standard tempering methods. Scrape the chocolate mixture into a small heatproof bowl.
18
Place the bowl of chocolate over a smaller bowl of warm water (86°F to 90°F) to keep it fluid.
19
Using a small metal spatula, coat the flat side of half of the cookies with a thin layer of melted chocolate.
20
Top each chocolate-coated cookie half with a second cookie to form a sandwich.
21
Place the assembled cookies on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chocolate is set.
22
Dip the pointed tips of the cookies halfway into the melted chocolate.
23
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.

Keywords: almond, butter, chocolate, cookie, dark, dessert, lemon, piped, shortbread, spritz, swiss, vanilla, zest

Read it online: https://www.chefs-mate.com/recipe/lemon-cats-paws-spritz-variation/