Buttery Spritz Cookies Recipe

Embrace the joy of holiday baking with classic buttery spritz cookies recipe! These delightful treats are a staple for a reason, offering a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich flavor that evokes warmth and nostalgia. Making them at home is surprisingly simple, allowing you to create beautiful, festive shapes that are far superior to any store-bought alternative. Get ready to impress with this easy-to-follow guide for perfect homemade spritz cookies.

Why You’ll Love This Buttery Spritz Cookies Recipe

You’ll adore this simple buttery spritz cookies recipe for many wonderful reasons:

• Irresistible Texture: Each cookie boasts a wonderfully soft, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth consistency that is truly delightful.
• Rich, Buttery Flavor: Enjoy the classic taste of rich butter perfectly complemented by a hint of almond.
• Quick, No-Chill Dough: This recipe features a dough that requires no chilling, getting you to delicious cookies faster.
• Perfect Shapes Every Time: The dough holds its form beautifully during baking, ensuring your pressed designs stay crisp.
• Ideal for Gifting: These beautiful cookies make perfect holiday gifts or additions to any festive dessert platter.

Ingredients

To create these delightful spritz cookies, gather these simple ingredients. Exact measurements are key for the best results.

• 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup (155g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 1/4 cups (293g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Red gel icing color, optional
• Green gel icing color, optional
• Sprinkles, optional

Notes & Substitutions

• Room Temperature Butter: Softened butter creams easily with sugar, creating a light, airy base for your cookie dough. Do not use melted butter. Research into cookie science reveals that room-temperature butter is crucial for texture and for incorporating air into the dough.
• Granulated Sugar: This sugar provides sweetness and contributes to the cookies’ delicate crispness while keeping them tender.
• Flavor Extracts: Vanilla and almond extracts provide the signature taste of a classic buttery spritz cookies recipe. For variations, try peppermint or lemon zest.
• All-Purpose Flour: Use standard all-purpose flour; accurate measurement by weight ensures the correct dough consistency.
• Gel Food Coloring: Gel colors are highly concentrated, offering vibrant shades without thinning your dough. Avoid liquid food coloring if possible.

Equipment

Having the right tools makes baking spritz cookies a breeze. Gather these kitchen essentials:

• Stand mixer or large mixing bowl with hand mixer
• Rubber spatula
• Cookie press with various plates
• Several baking sheets
• Silicone baking mats (highly recommended over parchment paper)

How to Make Buttery Spritz Cookies

Making a delicious buttery spritz cookies recipe is straightforward and fun! Follow these steps for perfect results.

Step 1: Prep Oven and Baking Sheets

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line your baking sheets with silicone baking mats. Silicone mats are crucial here because the dough needs a surface to lightly stick to when pressed, ensuring the cookie shapes detach properly from the press. Parchment paper, being non-stick, can cause the cookies to pull back with the press. Set the prepared cookie sheets aside.

Step 2: Cream Butter and Sugar

In a large mixer bowl, combine the softened, room temperature butter and granulated sugar. Beat them together on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes until the mixture becomes light in color and fluffy. You’ll notice it transform into a pale, creamy texture, indicating it’s perfectly aerated.

Step 3: Add Egg and Extracts

Add the large egg to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Mix until it is fully incorporated and blended smoothly into the dough. Next, pour in the vanilla extract and almond extract. Continue mixing just until these flavorful extracts are evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Step 4: Combine Dry Ingredients

Gradually add the all-purpose flour and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until the dough is just combined. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour, leading to tougher cookies. If necessary, remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to finish gently combining any dry streaks.

Step 5: Color the Dough (Optional)

If you plan to color your spritz cookies, now is the time to do so. Divide the dough into as many portions as you desire colors. For festive cookies, you might divide it into three parts for white, red, and green. Use gel icing color, adding small amounts incrementally. It’s always easier to add more color than to try and remove it. Be mindful that adding too much liquid food coloring can slightly thin the dough.

Step 6: Load the Cookie Press

Choose your desired cookie plate and insert it into your cookie press. Take one portion of your dough and fill the barrel of the cookie press, ensuring it’s packed firmly to remove air pockets. Familiarize yourself with your specific press’s directions for proper setup.

Step 7: Press Cookies onto Sheets

Hold the cookie press perpendicular to your silicone-lined cookie sheet. Begin pressing out the cookies, creating uniform shapes directly onto the mat. The dough should adhere to the mat when released. These cookies hold their shape well and do not spread much during baking, so you can space them fairly close together on the sheet.

Step 8: Decorate with Sprinkles

Immediately after pressing the cookies onto the sheets, decorate them with sprinkles, if desired. This ensures the sprinkles adhere well to the fresh dough before it begins to dry. You can use various types of sprinkles like nonpareils, jimmies, or sanding sugar for different effects.

Step 9: Bake to Perfection

Carefully transfer the decorated cookie sheets to your preheated oven. Bake for 5-8 minutes. The exact time will depend on your oven and the size of your cookies. For a delightfully soft texture, aim for about 5 minutes, ensuring the edges are set but not browned. If you prefer them a little crisper, bake closer to 8 minutes.

Step 10: Cool Cookies

Once baked, remove the cookie sheets from the oven. Allow the buttery spritz cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 4-5 minutes. This helps them firm up slightly before you move them. After this initial cooling, gently transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pro Tips & Troubleshooting

Achieve bakery-worthy results with these helpful tips and avoid common pitfalls for your next buttery spritz cookies recipe:

• Dough Consistency Matters: Ensure your butter is truly at room temperature for a smooth, pliable dough. If it’s too cold, the dough will be stiff; too warm, it will be sticky.
• Mastering the Cookie Press: Practice pressing a few cookies to get a feel for the rhythm and pressure needed for consistent shapes. If the dough warms up and becomes difficult to press, try chilling the press (with dough inside) for 10-15 minutes.
• Coloring Advice: Always opt for gel food coloring over liquid. Gel provides intense color with minimal moisture, preventing dough thinning. Add color gradually until you reach your desired shade.
• Baking for Best Texture: Avoid overbaking at all costs. Spritz cookies are best when they are just set and have barely any color. Look for pale golden edges, but the centers should remain soft.
• Common Mistakes:
  • Overmixing the Dough: This develops gluten, leading to tough, less tender cookies. Mix until just combined.
  • Using Parchment Paper: Spritz cookies need to stick slightly to the baking surface to release properly from the press. Parchment prevents this adhesion.
  • Poor Quality Butter: Butter is the star of this recipe; use a good quality unsalted butter for the best flavor.

Serving, Storage, & Variations

These delightful buttery spritz cookies recipe are versatile for any occasion.

• Serving Suggestions:
  • Serve alongside a warm mug of coffee, tea, or hot cocoa for a cozy treat.
  • Arrange them on festive platters as part of a holiday dessert spread.
  • Package them in decorative tins for thoughtful homemade gifts.
• Proper Storage:
  • Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
  • Layer cookies with parchment paper to prevent sticking and preserve their delicate decorations.
• Freezing Options:
  • Baked Cookies: Freeze fully cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
  • Dough: Form the dough into a log or disk, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge before pressing.
• Flavor Variations:
  • Extracts: Experiment with peppermint, orange, lemon, or even a touch of rum extract.
  • Citrus Zest: Add finely grated lemon, orange, or lime zest to the dough for a bright, fresh note.
  • Spices: Mix in a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom for a warm, spiced flavor.
• Decoration Ideas:
  • Drizzle cooled cookies with melted white or dark chocolate.
  • Dust lightly with powdered sugar for a simple elegance.
  • Use edible glitter or sugar pearls for an extra festive sparkle.

Nutrition

(Per 1 cookie serving, estimated)

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	90 kcal
Total Fat	5g
Saturated Fat	3g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	15mg
Sodium	30mg
Total Carbohydrates	10g
Dietary Fiber	0g
Total Sugars	5g
Protein	1g

Values are approximate and may vary based on specific ingredients and preparation.

FAQ

• What are Spritz Cookies?

  Spritz cookies are a classic European butter cookie made by pressing a soft dough through a cookie press. The name “spritz” comes from the German word “spritzen,” meaning “to squirt,” referring to the method of creating intricate shapes.

• Why is my spritz cookie dough not pressing well?

  Dough temperature is often the culprit; it may be too cold, making it stiff, or too warm, making it too sticky. Ensure your butter is truly room temperature and the dough is pliable, and always press onto an ungreased surface like a silicone mat.

• Can I make these without a cookie press?

  While a cookie press is traditional, you can roll the dough into small balls and flatten them with a fork, or use a piping bag with a large star tip for a similar effect. The texture might be slightly different, but still delicious.

• Can these cookies be made ahead of time?

  Absolutely! You can prepare the dough up to 3 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator, or freeze it for up to a month. Bake from chilled, allowing the dough to warm slightly, or bake frozen cookie dough after an initial thaw.

• How long do Spritz cookies last?

  Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these delightful cookies will stay fresh for about one week. For longer storage, freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months, thawing at room temperature before serving.

Conclusion

This buttery spritz cookies recipe truly embodies simplicity and deliciousness, perfect for any baker, from beginner to experienced. With their tender texture, rich flavor, and charming shapes, they are an undeniable festive favorite. Don’t hesitate to try making these delightful treats; they’re guaranteed to bring joy and warmth to your home. Share your creations and spread the cookie love!