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Old Fashioned Spritz Cookies Recipe

Old Fashioned Spritz Cookies Recipe

Bake buttery, classic Old Fashioned Spritz Cookies Recipe — press, decorate, and enjoy tender, crisp cookies in under 30 minutes.

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time9 minutes
Total Time24 minutes
Yield36

Ingredients

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the oven

Preheat your oven to 400°F so it’s hot and ready when the cookies are piped; a true hot start helps the cookies set at the edges while staying tender inside. Line an ungreased baking sheet and set it aside on the white quartz surface—these cookies are meant to be press-piped onto an ungreased sheet for the best crisp edges and delicate bite. Keep the sheet and a metal spatula nearby as you work so everything is ready when the dough is pipe-able.

Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar

Place the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar into your stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer). Beat on medium speed for about two minutes until the mixture is pale, airy, and visibly fluffy—this trapped air will give the cookies their tender lift. Scrape the sides once so everything stays evenly incorporated; you want a light, cloud-like texture before adding the wet ingredients.

Step 3: Add the egg, extracts, and optional color

Beat in the egg until the mixture becomes glossy and slightly more fluid, then fold in the vanilla and almond extracts. If you want colored dough, add a few drops of gel food coloring now and mix gently until evenly distributed; the color should be vibrant and uniform without overworking the fat. Scrape the bowl so there are no streaks of unmixed butter or color—this is the smooth, lightly aerated wet base that will accept the dry ingredients.


Step 4: Incorporate the dry ingredients into a pipe-able dough

Sift or whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt, then add the dry mix to the butter-egg mixture. Beat on low just until the dough comes together—soft, cohesive, and slightly firm to the touch. The finished dough will be smooth and pipe-able: not sticky, not crumbly, with a satiny surface that holds ridges when pressed. Transfer it to a bowl and prepare your cookie press or a pastry bag while you work gently so the structure stays delicate.


Step 5: Transfer to the press and pipe the shapes

Fill your cookie press or a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip with the prepared dough and press the cookies directly onto the ungreased baking sheet. Use different press discs to create classic flowery and snowflake-like forms; press with steady, even pressure so each cookie is consistently ridged and well defined. Arrange the piped cookies on the sheet—spacing is forgiving since these barely spread—then add a few sprinkles on top of any cookies you want decorated before baking.


Step 6: Bake until edges are just golden and decorate

Slide the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 7 to 9 minutes, watching closely on the first batch. The cookies are done when the edges only begin to take a light golden hue while the centers remain pale and tender. Remove the sheet and let the cookies rest for a minute so they set, then transfer them carefully to a cooling surface. At this stage the cookies show crisp, ridged texture and a delicate crumb that melts in the mouth.


Step 7: Cool completely and finish with drizzle or extra sprinkles

Let the cookies cool fully on a rack before finishing. Once cool, drizzle melted white chocolate over some, or dust and press on colored sugar crystals and extra sprinkles for a festive look. Arrange a selection of the finished spritz cookies on a serving plate or a rack for gifting and sharing—each cookie should display defined ridges, a buttery pale-golden color, and sparkly accents where the colored sugars catch the light.


Notes