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White scalloped platter of spritz butter cookies shaped like Christmas trees, wreaths and flowers, some tinted green and pink, decorated with red and green sprinkles, with a cookie press, holiday cookie tin, evergreen sprigs and string lights behind it

Spritz Butter Cookies

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Crisp, buttery Christmas spritz cookies pressed into little wreaths, trees and flowers, with a hint of almond and a sprinkle of colored sugar. A classic cookie-press recipe that makes a big batch for cookie trays and gift tins.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 60 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, softened to cool room temperature
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract or another 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • gel food coloring optional
  • colored sugar or sprinkles for decorating

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Leave your baking sheets ungreased and unlined: spritz dough needs to grip bare, cool metal to release from the press.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and creamy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, almond extract and salt.
  3. With the mixer on low, add the flour a little at a time, mixing just until a soft dough forms. If you'd like colored cookies, divide the dough and knead a small drop of gel coloring into each portion.
  4. Do not chill the dough. Pack it into a cookie press fitted with the disk of your choice. Hold the press straight up and down, resting it on the baking sheet, and press out cookies about 1 inch apart.
  5. Sprinkle the cookies with colored sugar or sprinkles before baking.
  6. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 2 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  7. Let the baking sheet cool completely before pressing the next batch (run it under cold water and dry it to speed things up). Repeat with the remaining dough.

Notes

Cookies won't stick to the pan? The sheet is probably warm, greasy or lined, or the dough is too cold. Use a cool, clean, bare metal sheet and let chilled dough warm up for 15 minutes.
No cookie press? Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk to soften the dough and pipe rosettes with a large star tip, or roll the dough into 1-inch balls and flatten with a fork.
Storage. Keep in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 3 months. They're a great make-ahead cookie for holiday trays.

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