Spritz Cookies

A platter of colorful Spritz Cookies made using a cookie press

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4.79 from 14 votes

A deliciously light butter cookie made with a cookie press.

Prep Time15

Cook Time8

Total Time23

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Scandinavian

Keyword: cookies, dessert, holiday

Servings: cookies

Calories: 79kcal

Author: Tricia

Equipment

Cookie press
2 light color, metal cookie sheets
Pastry brush

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:

1 cup unsalted butter, very soft but not melted (227g or 8-ounces)
⅔ cup granulated sugar (146g)
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (294g)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large egg, room temperature
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted (100g)
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon light corn syrup (like Karo)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional:

gel food color
sparkling sugar
nuts
candied fruit
candy pieces
sprinkles
nonpareils

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Set aside 2 light colored metal cookie sheets in a cool location. You can place the pans in the refrigerator if needed to chill. Prepare your cookie press with various disc shapes as desired. Set aside.

To prepare the cookie dough:

In a large mixing bowl combine the butter and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until well blended and lightened in color. Add the flour, salt, egg, almond and vanilla extracts. Blend on low until combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula and blend again until all ingredients are incorporated. The dough may seem dry at first but it will come together. The cookie dough should be a little sticky or tacky so it will adhere to the pan. See troubleshooting tips if needed.
Divide the dough as needed, if planning to tint with gel food color. Place cookie dough in the press. Press the dough onto the ungreased cold cookie sheet. Decorate if desired, then bake for 7-8 minutes, or just until they are set, but not brown. Immediately, and carefully, remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough on a cold cookie sheet.

To prepare the glaze:

Whisk the glaze ingredients together. Lightly brush the glaze onto the cookies and decorate as desired with nonpareils. Allow the glaze to set completely before storing, about 1 hour.

Notes

Cookies may be frozen, with or without the glaze for up to 2 months.

Cookie recipe adapted from Betty Crocker and glaze adapted from Martha Stewart

TROUBLESHOOTING:

The butter should be very soft; so soft it will hardly hold its shape. Not melted, but close.
Make sure your egg is at room temperature.
DO NOT refrigerate the dough before pressing.
Make sure the dough is warm, not cold. If it's not tacky, it will not stick to the pan. Place the cookie press, with cookie dough inside, in a warm location if needed to soften.
Only use metal baking sheets. Do not use baking stones.
The cookie sheet must be cold.
If the dough will not adhere to the pan, try placing the cookie sheet in the freezer for a few minutes.
Do not use parchment paper or a Silpat mat. The dough will not stick when pressed.
To get the cookie press started, squeeze twice to make a double thick cookie mound. Once you pull up the press, leaving behind the cookie on the pan, the remaining dough coming out of the bottom of the press should be a bit jagged and rough. This will help the next pressed cookie to stick to the pan. Continue pressing until the pan is full. Remove the larger cookie dough and put it back with the remaining dough before baking. Repress as needed.
These cookies bake quickly so please watch the baking time carefully. Start by baking just a few to check your oven and the best baking time. Use a timer!
Dark colored pans can brown the cookies too much. These Spritz cookies should be very pale in color, just set, and barely brown on the bottom.
Take care when adding food color. Too much will alter the consistency of the dough and cause the cookies to spread more than desired. I recommend gel food color only.
Bake tinted cookies separately as they brown more quickly than plain colored cookie dough.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition