Spritz (Spritzgebäck) Cookies

Spritz (Spritzgebäck) Cookies

Spritz (Spritzgebäck) Cookies

Spritz (Spritzgebäck) Cookies are one of the most popular holiday cookies. These buttery delights originate from the German word "spritzen", which means to squirt or spray. The cookies are made using a cookie press or pastry bag fitted with desired tip. The texture of the cookies are a little crisp when you bite into them and tender inside. I made these cookies using my Cuisinart Electric Cookie Press. Using a cookie press allows you to creates cookies in different shapes. The recipe is from Cook's Illustrated Holiday Baking, 2011, (pgs. 26-27). The cookie shapes hold well, but do not chill the dough and be sure to place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet. The butter ensures the cookies do not stick to the sheet, so do not use parchment or wax paper. I use red, green and blue colored sugars and sprinkles, colored sugar pearls, snowflakes, holly and trees. If you wish, you can tint the dough in different colors, but I opted to keep to the traditional recipe. If you want to change the flavor profile, substitute the pure vanilla extract to almond, coconut, anise, orange, or lemon extract.

Makes about 6 dozen 1 1/2 inch cookies.

Spritz (Spritzgebäck) Cookies

Ingredients
1 Extra Large Egg, just the Yolk

1 tablespoon Heavy Cream

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) Unsalted Butter, softened

2/3 cup Granulated Sugar

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

2 cups All-Purpose Flour

Colored Sugars and Sprinkles of your choice

Spritz (Spritzgebäck) Cookies

Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, beat egg yolk, heavy cream and vanilla extract with a fork until combined; set aside.

In a bowl of your mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and salt on medium high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

Scrape down bowl with spatula.

Spritz (Spritzgebäck) Cookies

With mixer on medium speed, add yolk-cream-vanilla mixture and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds.

With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour and beat until combined.

Scrape down bowl with spatula and give a final stir to make sure no flour pockets remain.

Dough will be soft, but do not refrigerate.

Fit your cookie press with desired disk to form cookies.

Place cookie sheet in the fridge for about 5 minutes before pressing cookies on it.

Spritz (Spritzgebäck) Cookies

Press onto ungreased baking sheet, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart.

Decorate with colored sugars and sprinkles.

Bake until cookies are light golden brown around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. My cookies baked in 10 minutes.

Cool cookie sheets completely before you press more cookies on it. I stick the cookie sheets in the fridge for 5 minutes.

Cool baked cookies for about 10 to 15 minutes and then transfer to wire rack and cool completely, about 1 hour.

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys