These melt-in-your-mouth adorable little buttery classic Spritz Cookies are made easily with seven ingredients in a cookie press. I love to bake them for friends and family during the Christmas holidays. The little Christmas trees and wreaths look so adorable on my holiday cookie trays.
However, they sell discs for many other holidays as well, so you can use your cookie press year-round. The kids love to help with these simple cookies, so get the whole family involved in the holiday festivities.
I have always loved to bake cookies, but it is especially fun using my cookie press. Oh, and did I mention how incredibly easy it is? I like to decorate them with sprinkles, chocolate chips, melted chocolate, nonpareils, and sanding sugar. These little beauties have a rich butter flavor and tender texture. I love to include these cute little cookies on my holiday trays along with Snowball Cookies, Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies, and White Chocolate Peanut Holiday Haystack Cookies!
What are Spritz Cookies?
They are tiny cookies that are similar to butter cookies and sugar cookies. They are formed using a cookie press. The dough is made with a little more than a handful of ingredients using a mixer. Unlike shortbread cookies, the dough contains an egg. The mixture is then spooned into a cookie press that is fitted with different disks to create different shapes. They are then pressed out onto a baking sheet. The whole package deal works remarkably well and effortlessly. Add sprinkles before baking or dip in melted chocolate or a simple powdered sugar glaze after baking, and then add sprinkles.
The word “spritz” or the German word “spritzen” means to squirt or spray something at or onto something. In this case, you are squirting the cookie dough through the press onto your baking sheet. You are going to love how much fun these are.
How do you make Spritz Cookies?
Start by creaming your butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Then add the egg, almond extract, vanilla extract, and salt, mixing just until combined. Now turn the mixer to low and add the flour, mixing just until incorporated. Then fill the cookie press with the mixture and press the cookie dough onto a cool baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake in a preheated oven for about 6 minutes. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes before moving them to wire racks to cool.
Wait for the cookies to fully cool before dunking or drizzling them with chocolate or powdered sugar glaze. Decorate with sprinkles, sanding sugar, or nonpareils immediately after dunking or drizzling. If you want to decorate without dunking or drizzling, simply speckle with sprinkles, sanding sugar, or nonpareils before placing them in the oven to bake. I usually do several of these options to create the effects that I want.
Recipe notes and helpful tips
- This may be the only cookie I advise baking right on the cookie sheet. They do much better without parchment paper or silicone mats, as both of these hold heat and cause the cookies to spread too fast.
- If you would like to change the color of the dough, simply add a small amount of gel food coloring before blending the flour into the cookie dough.
- Plan your cookies ahead of time and decide whether you will use melted chocolate and/or a glaze. If you are adding sprinkles to the cookies without chocolate or a glaze, then they should be sprinkled on before baking, so they stick to the cookies.
- To make chocolate spritz cookies reduce the flour by 1/4 cup and add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the cookie dough.
- For a spice spritz, add warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves, or allspice. Just remember that a little goes a long way.
- I have always found that spritz dough best moves through the cookie press after mixing. Refrigeration will cause it to become too stiff to move through the cookie press freely.
- If freezing the cookies, do so before decorating, then thaw and decorate. Chocolate tends to absorb freezer odors, change textures, and whiten in the freezer.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- These cookies freeze exceptionally well, and they ship even better, so plan your holiday baking today.
More cookie recipes for you to enjoy
Spritz Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 2/3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- optional chocolate chips, melted chocolate, sprinkles, sanding sugar, or nonpareils for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange oven rack in center of oven.
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer on medium speed, cream your butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt, mixing just until combined. Turn the mixer to low and add the flour, mixing just until incorporated.
- Fill the cookie press and press the cookies onto a cool baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
- Bake in a preheated oven for about 6 minutes or until golden brown. Let the cookies cool for 3-4 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
- Wait for the cookies to fully cool before dunking or drizzling them with chocolate or powdered sugar glaze. Decorate with sprinkles, sanding sugar, or nonpareils immediately after. If you want to decorate without dunking or drizzling, simply speckle with sprinkles, sanding sugar, or nonpareils before placing them in the oven to bake.
Notes
- This may be the only cookie I advise baking right on the cookie sheet. They do much better without parchment paper or silicone mats, as both of these hold heat and cause the cookies to spread too fast.
- If you would like to change the color of the dough, simply add a small amount of gel food coloring before blending the flour into the cookie dough.
- Plan your cookies ahead of time and decide whether you will use melted chocolate and/or a glaze. If you are adding sprinkles to the cookies without chocolate or a glaze, then they should be sprinkled on before baking, so they stick to the cookies.
- To make chocolate spritz cookies reduce the flour by 1/4 cup and add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the cookie dough.
- For a spice spritz, add warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves, or allspice. Just remember that a little goes a long way.
- I have always found that spritz dough best moves through the cookie press after mixing. Refrigeration will cause it to become too stiff to move through the cookie press freely.
- If freezing the cookies, do so before decorating, then thaw and decorate. Chocolate tends to absorb freezer odors, change textures, and whiten in the freezer.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- These cookies freeze exceptionally well, and they ship even better, so plan your holiday baking today.
Nutrition
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Clarice
I have never tried making spritz cookies but would love to try this. Love the idea of adding some cinnamon and nutmeg. Thank you for sharing the recipe and these helpful tips. Will keep them in mind.