Buttery Spritz Cookies
Buttery Spritz Cookies are those small, delicate cookies you press straight onto the baking sheet, the kind that show up on holiday trays and somehow disappear first. They’re tender without being crumbly, lightly sweet, and full of simple butter flavor. If you’ve never used a cookie press, this is an easy place to start. The dough comes together quickly, pipes cleanly, and bakes in minutes. No big fuss. Just classic cookies that feel a little special, whether you’re sharing a plate with neighbors or sneaking one with your afternoon coffee.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup (135 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional but lovely)
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- Optional add-ins: 1 teaspoon lemon zest, gel food coloring, or 1–2 teaspoons milk if needed for consistency
- Decorations: sanding sugar, nonpareils, or chocolate for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grab a couple of unlined, ungreased, cool metal baking sheets. Skip parchment and silicone mats here. The dough needs direct contact with the pan to stick when you press it.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Two to three minutes with a hand mixer is plenty. You’re looking for a soft, fluffy spread, not a hard workout.
- Beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond extract. The mixture may look a little silky and loose. That’s good.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with the salt. Add it to the butter mixture and mix on low just until combined. It should form a soft dough that holds a shape. If it’s crumbly, add 1 teaspoon of milk. If it’s sticky, let it rest 5 minutes.
- If you want colorful cookies, divide the dough and tint each portion with a tiny dab of gel coloring. Knead gently until uniform. Don’t overmix; you want tender cookies, not tough ones.
- Load the dough into your cookie press fitted with your favorite disk. Flowers and stars always look tidy. Hold the press flat against the cool baking sheet and press once, then lift cleanly. If the dough doesn’t stick, see the FAQ below for quick fixes.
- Space cookies about 1 inch apart. They don’t spread much, which is a gift when you’re trying to fit several dozen on two pans.
- Decorate if you like. A pinch of sparkling sugar or a few nonpareils makes them look bakery-worthy with almost zero effort.
- Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, just until the edges look barely golden. They should stay quite pale. Overbaking takes them from tender to sandy in a blink.
- Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Repeat with remaining dough, making sure your baking sheet is cool before pressing the next batch. Warm sheets can cause the dough to slide, which is frustrating.
- Once cooled, you can drizzle with melted chocolate or dip one edge for a little flourish. Or keep them plain and let the buttery flavor speak up.