Description
Christmas Spritz Cookies: Buttery cookies with hints of almond and vanilla, perfect for holiday baking. Quick, delicious, and crowd-pleasing!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened but still cool to the touch
- ⅔ cup (133g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2¼ cups (281g) all-purpose flour, measured by spoon-and-sweep method
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare Your Equipment Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Assemble your cookie press with your chosen disc pattern. For **Christmas Spritz Cookies**, traditional shapes include trees, wreaths, stars, and snowflakes. There’s no need to grease your baking sheets—a clean, ungreased surface helps the pressed dough adhere properly.
- Step 2: Cream Butter and Sugar In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 30 seconds until creamy. Gradually add sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. This incorporates air into the dough, creating that melt-in-your-mouth texture that makes **Christmas Spritz Cookies** so irresistible. Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently for even incorporation.
- Step 3: Add Egg and Flavorings Beat in the egg, salt, and your chosen extract (vanilla or almond) until completely incorporated. The mixture should look smooth and slightly glossy. This is also the stage where you can add food coloring if desired—gel food coloring works best as it won’t affect the dough consistency. For holiday **Christmas Spritz Cookies**, try dividing the dough and creating red and green batches.
- Step 4: Incorporate Flour Gradually add the flour, about half a cup at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until combined. Overmixing at this stage will develop too much gluten, resulting in tough cookies. The finished dough should be soft but not sticky, holding its shape when pressed. If the dough seems too soft, chill briefly for 10-15 minutes.
- Step 5: Fill and Press Cookies Load the dough into your cookie press according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Hold the press perpendicular to the ungreased baking sheet and press out cookies with consistent pressure, spacing them about 1½ inches apart. If a cookie doesn’t release cleanly, simply scrape it back into the dough bowl and try again. Work efficiently as **Christmas Spritz Cookies** press best when the dough is at the perfect temperature.
- Step 6: Decorate and Bake Immediately decorate your pressed cookies before baking. Add sprinkles, sugars, or halved cherries while the dough is still soft so they’ll adhere during baking. Bake one sheet at a time in the middle rack of your oven for 7-10 minutes. The cookies should be set but not browned at the edges—overbaking will make them lose their tender texture. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for just 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
- Step 7: Serve Your Delicious Christmas Spritz Cookies Enjoy your beautifully baked and decorated Christmas Spritz Cookies with friends and family during the festive season! Share the joy and deliciousness of these cookies with your loved ones for a memorable holiday treat.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cookies
- Calories: 120 per serving
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 25mg