Perfect Christmas Spritz Cookies — Buttery Pressed Classic

Spritz cookies are Scandinavian Christmas classics — buttery dough pressed through a cookie press into festive shapes.

The recipe

Ingredients (makes 60)

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened (do not substitute)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

Method

1. Cream butter, sugar until light
2. Beat in egg, vanilla, almond
3. Mix in flour and baking powder
4. Do NOT chill dough (must be room temp for press)
5. Load cookie press, press onto UNGREASED cookie sheets
6. Decorate before baking (sprinkles, colored sugar)
7. Bake 350°F for 8-10 minutes (light golden)

Critical tips

Why room temperature dough?

• Must press cleanly through holes
• Chilled dough is too stiff
• Warm dough sticks

Why ungreased sheets?

• Dough must stick to sheet to release from press
• Greased sheets = pile of dough on press

Press tricks

• Lift press straight up
• Don't twist when releasing
• Practice on parchment first

Storage

• Airtight at room temp
• 2 weeks
• Freeze 3 months

Cross-references

For Shortbread cookies — adjacent.

For Best Christmas cookies — broader.

For Cookie exchange — adjacent.

Perfect spritz cookies require real butter, room-temp dough, ungreased sheets. Scandinavian Christmas classic in festive shapes.