Description
Delight in these classic Spritz Cookies, perfect for any holiday or special occasion. These buttery, tender cookies are pressed into beautiful shapes using a cookie press and can be decorated with sprinkles, chocolate chips, or melted chocolate for a festive touch.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Optional Decorations
- Gel food coloring
- Sprinkles
- Chocolate chips
- Melted chocolate for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare baking sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2 or 3 large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or use nonstick baking sheets without liners. Refrigerate these lined sheets if possible to help the cookie dough adhere better.
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed with a handheld or stand mixer until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add dry ingredients: On low speed, beat in the flour and salt. Increase to high speed and beat until fully incorporated into a soft dough.
- Press the cookies: Fit your cookie press with a decorative plate as per manufacturer’s instructions. Fill the press with dough, hold it perpendicular to the cold lined baking sheet, and press cookies about 2 inches apart. Optionally, brush cookies lightly with water and decorate with sprinkles or press chocolate chips into centers. Chill shaped dough in the refrigerator for 10 minutes if it becomes too soft.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned.
- Cool and decorate: Let cookies cool 5 minutes on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with melted chocolate if desired.
- Store: Keep cookies fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- You can chill dough up to 4 days or freeze for 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before use.
- Baked cookies can also be frozen for 3 months; thaw before serving.
- Almond extract adds a signature flavor. Substitute with additional vanilla or other extracts like peppermint or lemon if preferred.
- Use gel food coloring sparingly; 2 drops are enough to tint the entire batch.
- If you don’t have a cookie press, use a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch open star tip and add a splash of milk for piping.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 90 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 40 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
