If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you know that this week has been full of baking. I’ve made over 2 dozen pumpkin gingerbread loaves for a local business and then I moved on to cookies. I should say more cookies since I started making Christmas cookies on November 1st. But I saved yesterday for my favorite cookies, Spritz Cookies!
If you are going to make spritz cookies you do need a special piece of equipment, a cookie press. You can find them everywhere and anywhere this time of year and even for less than $10. But I am lucky enough to have my Grandma’s old cookie press.
I love this thing! I love that it is manual and not battery powered. I feel more control when I twist right to “press” the cookie then twist left to release the cookie and move on to the next. I love that I have a camel disc! I’ve never seen anyone else with a camel.
But I will admit green Christmas trees are my favorite. There is something about that fake green food coloring that makes the green trees extra delicious.
These are not only my favorite cookie but my dad’s too. Every year for Christmas he just wants some of my “butter cookies.” Since we are celebrating Christmas with my side of the family early this year I had to get a move on with the Spritz cookies.
Here are a few things to know to help you with your spritz experience;
1. If you have a stand mixer USE IT! My mother-in-law gave me one a few years ago and let me tell you it makes a HUGE difference. I can make spritz cookies in half the time now. The dough is quite stiff by the time you mix all the flour in; my arm would always get tired. And to then mix in a color… I felt like I needed to ice my arm and elbow after that. With the stand mixer it is easy peasy. But I have done this for about 25 years by hand so you can too if you don’t have a stand mixer.
2. Make sure your cookie sheet is cold before you press the cookies. I don’t mean not hot. I mean put it in the fridge and get it cold. You don’t want to grease the cookie sheet or use parchment paper here. Just a cold cookie sheet.
3. The cookies do spread a little but it is very little so you can really try to pack them on the cookie sheet.
4. Move the cookies from the cookie sheet to a cooking rack as soon as they come out of the oven. If you wait for them to cool on the sheet it is harder to get them off and they may crack.
I basically use Better Homes and Gardens recipe (which you can find here) with a minor tweak. I scrap the almond flavoring and double the vanilla extract. Mmmm… melt in your mouth deliciousness. It isn’t Christmas without Spritz cookies. I hope you love them as much as we do!
Spritz Cookies
Makes 84 Cookies
Ingredients:
1 ½ c Butter, at room temperature
1 c Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 Egg, at room temperature
2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
3 ½ c All-Purpose Flour
Preheat oven to 375.
Put cookie sheets in the refrigerator to chill.
In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer and a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth.
Add the sugar and baking powder and beat until combined, scraping down as necessary.
Beat in the egg and vanilla.
Add half the flour and beat.
Add remaining flour and combine with a spatula if doing by hand or let your stand mixer do the rest of the work.
If you want multiple colors, divide dough into separate bowls and add food coloring as necessary.
Put dough into the cookie press with desired disc. Remove cookie sheet from the fridge and press cookies onto cold cookie sheet.
If desired, add sprinkles to cookies.
Bake for 8-10 minutes (they shouldn’t color too much).
Immediately remove to cooling rack.
Store in an airtight container. These cookies freeze great and make wonderful gifts!
Spritz Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ c Butter at room temperature
- 1 c Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 Egg at room temperature
- 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 3 ½ c All-Purpose Flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375. Put cookie sheets in the refrigerator to chill.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer and a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and baking powder and beat until combined, scraping down as necessary. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Add half the flour and beat. Add remaining flour and combine with a spatula if doing by hand or let your stand mixer do the rest of the work.
- If you want multiple colors, divide dough into separate bowls and add food coloring as necessary.
- Put dough into the cookie press with desired disc. Remove cookie sheet from the fridge and press cookies onto cold cookie sheet.
- If desired, add sprinkles to cookies.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes (they shouldn’t color too much).
- Immediately remove to cooling rack.
I have never loved anything more than how these taste and that they make “84”
I’m going to start making them skinnier and see if I can get to an even 90
They look great Em. Are you going to bring some when you come?? Please!!!
Of course!
My favorites too! And vanilla extract makes them all that much better. Yum.
Agreed! Gotta double the vanilla
These look just perfect & yummy!
Thank you!!