Classic Spritz Cookies That Hold Their Shape
Spritz cookies are small butter cookies shaped by pushing soft dough through a patterned cookie press. A good batch has defined ridges, pale golden edges and a tender, crisp bite. The method is quick once the dough, tray and press are working together.
Unlike most cut-out cookie doughs, spritz dough should be soft and used without chilling before pressing. It also needs a bare, cool, ungreased metal baking sheet: the dough must grip the surface briefly so it releases from the press.
At a glance
- Makes about 60 small pressed cookies.
- Use softened butter, but do not melt it.
- Press onto a cool, ungreased, unlined metal sheet.
- Do not chill the dough before pressing; refrigerate leftovers promptly.
Image disclosure: The food images in this article are AI-generated illustrations. They are visual references; your finished cookies will vary.
Ingredients and Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened to about 65°F/18°C
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, optional
- 2 1/2 cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- Colored sugar or small sprinkles, optional
Equipment
- Cookie press with clean decorative discs
- Sturdy, light-colored metal baking sheets
- Electric mixer
- Cooling rack
The recipe contains wheat, milk and egg. Almond extract may not be appropriate for every allergy situation; check the label and omit it when necessary.
How to Make Spritz Cookies
- Heat the oven. Preheat to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the center. Make sure the baking sheets are cool, clean, ungreased and free of parchment or silicone mats.
- Cream butter and sugar. Beat the softened butter and sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, until lighter and smooth. The butter should not look oily.
- Add egg and flavoring. Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract, scraping down the bowl until evenly combined.
- Add flour and salt. Mix on low in two additions. Stop as soon as a soft, smooth dough forms. It should be pliable and should not crumble when squeezed.
- Load the press. Fit the chosen disc and fill the barrel, pressing the dough down to remove large air pockets. Follow the press manufacturer’s assembly instructions.
- Press the shapes. Hold the press upright with its base flat against the bare tray. Make one full press, pause, then lift straight up. Space shapes about 1 inch/2.5 cm apart.
- Decorate. Add colored sugar or small sprinkles before baking. Avoid heavy decorations that hide the pressed detail.
- Bake. Bake one tray at a time for 7 to 9 minutes. The cookies should look dry on top with only the faintest gold at the edge.
- Cool. Leave them on the sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer gently to a rack. Cool the tray completely before pressing the next batch onto it.
Cookie Press Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause |
|---|---|
| Dough stays in the press | Dough too cold or stiff |
| Dough will not stick to tray | Tray greased, lined or warm |
| Shapes spread and blur | Butter too warm or flour low |
| Dough crumbles | Too much flour or dough dried out |
| Cookies brown quickly | Dark tray or hot oven |
If the first shape fails, scrape it off and return it to the dough. Different presses dispense different amounts per click, so test the motion before filling a full tray.
Do not solve a sticking problem by flouring the tray. Extra flour dulls the bottom and can make the next shapes release inconsistently.
Keeping the Shapes Sharp
Butter temperature controls both pressing and spreading. At about 65°F/18°C, it bends under gentle pressure but still feels cool. Butter that is shiny, greasy or partially melted makes a loose dough and blurred patterns.
The bare tray is equally important. Spritz dough releases from the press because it adheres momentarily to clean metal. Parchment and silicone are designed to prevent sticking, which is why they work against this method.
Use one tray at a time if you own only one suitable pan. Pressing dough onto a sheet that is still warm from the oven can soften the butter before baking begins.
Storage and Make-Ahead Advice
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week, with parchment between decorated layers. Freeze baked spritz cookies for up to three months and thaw them inside the closed container.
For food safety, do not keep raw egg dough at room temperature for a day. If you must pause, cover and refrigerate it within two hours (sooner in a hot kitchen). Refrigerated dough will be too firm to press at first; let only the portion you need soften until pliable, then use it promptly.
The simplest make-ahead option is to bake and freeze the finished cookies. Their low moisture content helps them thaw without losing the pressed detail.
Flavor and Decoration Variations
- Add 1 teaspoon finely grated orange or lemon zest with the extracts.
- Dip one edge of fully cooled cookies in melted chocolate.
- Divide the dough and tint small portions with gel food coloring.
- Place one small candied cherry piece in the center of flower shapes before baking.
Avoid adding more than a small amount of liquid flavoring. Extra liquid changes the dough consistency and can blur the shapes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why won’t spritz dough come out of my cookie press?
It is usually too cold or too stiff. Let the dough warm briefly, check that the press is assembled correctly and make sure dried dough is not blocking the disc.
Should I chill spritz cookie dough?
Not before pressing. The dough needs to be soft enough to move through the disc. Refrigerate unused raw dough for safety if it will sit longer than two hours, then soften a portion before continuing.
Can I use parchment paper?
For this method, no. The dough needs to grip an ungreased bare metal sheet in order to detach from the press.
Can I make spritz cookies without a press?
A sturdy piping bag with a large star tip can produce a similar butter cookie, but it will not create the same crisp pressed patterns.
Why are my cookies hard?
They may have been overmixed after adding flour or baked until deeply browned. Mix only until combined and remove them when the edges are barely golden.
Serving
Spritz cookies are compact, sturdy and easy to arrange around softer cookies on a holiday tray. Pair them with Peanut Butter Blossoms and Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies for contrasting shapes and textures.