I don't think you'd get a good result from sprinkling it. Yes, the bottle could have lost Potency in a short time. It also may be that it was already on the weak side but performed better in the cheesecake. Scenting the cookies might work, but better to spray a piece of paper, or put some on a cotton ball in your sealed container, than put it directly on the cookies. Or put it all on a sacrificial cookie than won't be eaten. Directly applied extract can be nasty.

You could make a weak almond sugar solution to brush on the cookies then dry well spread out. Or make some kind of almond glaze to dip the bottoms in. Not traditional for spritz, but could enhance the almond flavor.

I always use Amaretto instead of almond extract. You have to double the amount to get the right almond flavor, but I like it a lot better.

You could always sprinkle Amaretto over the cookies, but I would not sprinkle almond extract.

I have had almond extract do that to me, too. One surprise was to go to get it and find it empty for no explainable reason. That really puzzled me because it seems that it could only spill or maybe evaporate. It is only hubs and I ever go into the fridge and he never has any reason to even know that it exist, so I know he had nothing to do with it. I am the one who cleans the fridge and would have seen if it had leaked.

But there is was with the lid screwed on and empty. The only logical explanation is that I was the one who put it back empty and just dont' remember.

But, I have also had the experience with it seeming to have lost it's flavor.

I don't use it very often.

Pillog has some good suggestions for you. I think that the extract on an absorbant piece of paper towel could impart an essence to the cookies if you seal them up together for a while. And, Lars suggestion of baking with amaretto is a good one too.

I only use Amaretto now instead of almond extract. I think Lars taught me to do that several years ago. However, I triple the amount of Amaretto. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 tsp of extract, I use 1 Tblsp of Amaretto.

Never having made spritz cookies, I have no idea if the extra liquid would affect the dough. I don’t believe I’ve ever eaten a spritz cookie either. Hmmm...maybe I need to correct this hole in my culinary education.

Hope you don’t mind me tacking this on here but I can’t open a new thread:

This weekend NYT had a recipe for eggnog snickerdoodles. Calls for rum extract, and it appears that what’s predominately available is ”imitation.” Should I go with that or look further? I’m thinking real rum won’t add enough flavor in quantities that won’t ruin the cookies. What would you use?

You could evaporate some rum yourself. Or use rum plus a little molasses.

Larson, do you use Amaretto in spritz cookies too? My only hesitation is because the dough is already finicky. If it will still work, that's a good option. I love Amaretto and always have it on hand.

Bbstx, if I could make only one kind of cookie for the rest of my life, it would be spritz.

That said, if you want to try it, there's a learning curve involved. I am the only one left of what was a large extended family who makes it. My kids and niece were very interested in learning, but didn't have the patience to learn what works. My mom taught me.

Since it has to be put through a cookie press the dough consistency make a big difference. The dough is sensitive to the heat in the kitchen plus humidity. So you have to adjust as needed for those factors. My Mom had me touch or feel the dough.

I don't think doubling the amaretto would work at all in spritz. But is your usual almond extract that strong? I would try a one to one substitution first. Spritz are delicate, and don't need a lot of flavoring.

You could also try processing almond flour and the sugar together to very fine. Just a bit so as not to really change the texture. Then add the amaretto.

I made Carol’s uncle's spritz cookies last Winter, and they were pretty much the perfect cookie. :)