Can somebody tell me what I'm doing wrong before I have a temper tantrum and break my cookie press? I have a Pampered Chef press and I lost the directions in a recent move. I've tried using another recipe I found and it's not working. I either literally blow the plunger end off the thing (dough too cold?) or when it comes out the other end it won't come off.
www.epinions.com/
www.recipezaar.com/
The two websites might answer a few of your questions, if not Google: Pampered Chef Cookie Press and see what you come up with.
Thanks MCW! After I sent this question in (on Saturday!) I spent some time googleing it and discovered I'm not the only one having this problem and many users are checking the "would not recommend" box. I sure don't like it. My kitchen gadgets are there to make things easier, not harder.
Use and Care instuctions are available at pamperedchef.com under "products". This should take you straight to the Cookie Press Use and Care: www.pamperedchef.com/
As for the end coming off, you are probably correct in thinking that perhaps the dough was too cold. It should be just about the consistency of playdough. The shape disks should be "number" side out.
Feel free to email me if you need further assistance. I will do my best for you! iamchef dot leighann at yahoo
Give it away- life's too short!
I've only used mine once so far, but I loved it. The person selling the stuff at the party I went to told me it was tricky to use the first few times and she was right- not all the discs worked properly for me, but enough did to give me some very professional looking cookies.
I know what it is, because once I figured it out, I've been fine and it works perfectly. Its your dough. The standard recipe is a box of white cake mix, 2 and 3/4 c. flour, you mix them together. Then use your hands and make a mound out of it and scoop out a volcano center. The most important thing is the butter. Its a pound of butter. Nuke 2 sticks until almost melted, or partially and stir them up. Then slice the other 2 sticks into pats and toss those into the melted butter. Keep stirring it around.
You cannot have the butter completely melted or solid. It should be just about the consistency of cake batter, so don't over nuke. Be patient the butter pats will melt into the other 2 sticks if you keep stirring. I've used my hands before to do it too. Ok so now you have a mound with a hole, and a bowl of not quite liquid, not quite solid butter. Pour the butter into the hole in the mound and use your hands to start mixing. Yes its messy. Take of your rings and if you have nice nails wear gloves. I keep kneading it until its silky smooth.
Sometimes if you cookie sheet is hot that will make it not want to stick too. Using these steps I never have a problem, and before that I was getting so peeved off and even threw out dough in anger. It's the consistency of the butter that is the single most important thing.
Thanks everybody for the help and offers of help. I've survived Thanksgiving without cookie press cookies and now have my Christmas cookies already in the freezer so I'm not going to be making anymore this year...maybe. I'll try some of these ideas next year but have about decided I don't want to make cookies that require so much effort.
I have good news! You can obtain the Product Information insert for any current Pampered Chef product at www.pamperedchef.com. Look for PRODUCTS, then locate the cookie press.
I think the Pampered Chef Cookie Press sucks! I can't get mine to work with ANY spritz cookie recipe. A cheap press I used, works like a charm!
I use the Spritz Cooking recipe from the PC website and you are not suppose to refrigerate the dough...just mix and go.
Hi the number on the disk must face out. I have a good recipe for the press but it sometimes doesn't stick you just have to persevere.
10.5 oz butter
I bought one too and I can't get it to work! Unfortunately I gave my cheap well working one to my daughter!!!
Isn't part of the fun having a press that gives you trouble when making spritz cookies?! I have the pampered chef cookie press and it's true, it doesn't work as well as my mom's old one. But, this last year I got it to work. What I found it you have to adjust the recipe a tad, I added a bit more milk to the recipe so it was a bit softer and they came out great every time. I also made sure the cookie sheet was cold and also, made sure the cookie dough didn't warm up too much but also wasn't too cold.
Aluminum Mirro cookie presses were sold with recipes for holiday shaped cookies. You can find a copy of the originals online.
