Spritz Cookies Butter Cookies
Show-stopping pressed cookies with buttery snap and delicate crumb, baked in under an hour. This European-style recipe balances butter, sugar, and flour for crisp edges and detailed shapes, perfect for versatile flavors and festive decorating.
Equipment
- Cookie Press
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
- Baking Sheet (bare metal preferred)
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
Main Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature, European-style (82% fat)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract or 1 tsp vanilla + 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
Optional Additions
- 1-2 tbsp milk or cream only if dough seems too stiff
Decorations
- sanding sugar, nonpareils, melted chocolate for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with ungreased, bare metal sheets or very lightly chilled ones. Avoid parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond extracts (if using) until smooth and slightly thickened, about 30–45 seconds. Scrape down bowl.
- Whisk flour and salt together separately. Add to the mixer in two parts on low speed, mixing just until soft dough forms and pulls away from bowl.
- If dough is dry or crumbly, add 1 tbsp milk and briefly mix. Pinch dough to test texture; it should be soft and not sticky. Adjust with milk or chill 5 minutes if needed.
- Assemble your cookie press with a desired disk shape. Pack dough into the press tube tightly, eliminating air pockets, and prime until dough reaches the press plate.
- Press dough onto cool, bare baking sheets. Click once and lift straight up. Chill pan briefly or wipe if shapes don't release easily.
- Decorate cookies before baking with sanding sugar, nonpareils, or chocolate chips for neat toppings.
- Bake cookies 7–10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway, until edges set and bottoms lightly golden; tops stay pale.
- Cool cookies on sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely and crisp up.
- Optional: Dip half of each cookie in melted dark or white chocolate and add crushed peppermint or pistachios for color.
- Keep unused dough covered to prevent drying. Knead briefly to warm if pressing becomes difficult.
- If cookies bake puffy and lose detail, chill formed cookies 5 minutes and bake again.
Notes
Test one cookie to adjust baking time. Split dough for multiple flavors and colors to create variety. Store baked cookies in airtight tins up to 7 days with parchment between layers for detail preservation.