Spritz cookies
Spritz are traditional butter cookies from Germany and Scandinavia, pushed through a cookie press into pretty little flowers, stars or Christmas trees. The name comes from the German word spritzen, meaning to squirt or press. They're crisp and tender, fragrant with butter and almond, and just right for decorating with sprinkles during the holidays.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 9 min
- Rising or chilling
- 15 min
- Total time
- 54 min
- Method
- Oven-baked
Ingredients
Cookie dough
Decoration (optional)
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 190°C and have ready cool, clean, unlined metal baking sheets. Spritz dough has to stick directly to the baking sheet to release from the press, and parchment paper would make the dough slide away with the press. The oven is ready after about fifteen minutes of preheating.
Step 2
Beat 225 g softened unsalted butter with 130 g granulated sugar on medium speed for about three minutes. Smooth, soft butter makes the dough pliable enough to pass through the press while keeping crisp patterns. The mixture is ready when it's pale, smooth and soft like frosting.
Step 3
Add 50 g eggs, 5 g vanilla extract and 2 g almond extract to the butter and beat until combined. Almond extract is the signature flavor of classic spritz. The mixture is ready when it's silky, glossy and not curdled.
Step 4
Add 280 g all-purpose flour and a pinch salt and mix on low speed only until the dough just comes together. The dough must be soft and should not be chilled, since firm dough won't press out. It's ready when it's soft and smooth, doesn't stick to your hands and holds a clear imprint when pressed.
Step 5
Fit your favorite design disk into the cookie press, or use a piping bag with a large star tip, then pack the dough firmly into the barrel. Packing it tightly removes air pockets so each press pushes out the same amount of dough. You've done it right when the barrel is full with no empty gaps.
Step 6
Hold the press upright against the baking sheet, squeeze the trigger once, then lift the press away decisively, spacing the cookies about two centimeters apart. A cool, clean baking sheet helps the dough cling to it as you lift the press. The cookies are right when the patterns are sharp and they're all the same size.
Step 7
Sprinkle 15 g rainbow sprinkles over the cookies right after pressing, before the surface dries. The still-moist, tacky dough holds the sprinkles firmly so they don't fall off during baking. You're done decorating when the sprinkles are evenly scattered and stay put on top.
Step 8
Bake at 190°C for about 7 to 9 minutes, watching closely from the sixth minute since these small cookies bake very quickly. The high heat sets the cookies fast so the patterns don't melt away. They're done when the edges are just turning golden while the tops stay pale.
Step 9
Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for about two minutes, then move them with a thin spatula to a wire rack and let them cool for about fifteen minutes. Let the baking sheet cool completely before pressing the next batch, since a hot sheet melts the butter and the dough won't stick. The cookies are ready when they're firm and crisp and don't break when lifted.
Equipment
- Oven
- Hand mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Kitchen scale
- Piping bag
- Baking sheet
- Wire cooling rack
Tips
- If the dough won't stick to the baking sheet, chill the sheet in the fridge for a few minutes; if the dough is too firm to press, warm the barrel in your hands.
- You can divide the dough and tint it with food coloring for green Christmas trees or pink flowers.
- Dipping half of each cooled cookie in melted chocolate makes them even prettier.
Storage
Spritz cookies stay crisp in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to two weeks. You can freeze baked cookies for up to two months and thaw them in a sealed container so they don't get soggy.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The dough won't stick to the baking sheet and keeps clinging to the press.
- The baking sheet was lined, greased or still warm. Use a plain, clean metal baking sheet that's completely cool.
- The cookies spread and lost their patterns in the oven.
- The butter was too soft or the oven wasn't hot enough. Use butter that's just softened at cool room temperature and check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
