Spritzgebäck – or “Spritz Cookies” are wonderful little German Butter Cookies. The recipe is simple, but you can have some creative fun with these and suit them for any special occasion.
Today, I have collaborated with a number of other great food bloggers to bring you yet another round-up of awesome cookie recipes for your Christmas cookie baking season. This collection is a virtual International Cookie Exchange with recipes from all over!
Need cookie ideas? I think between this collection and the one from previously in the week, I’ve got you covered!
To begin, this recipe uses vanilla sugar. Vanilla sugar is simple to make – find out how here – but if you don’t have any on hand, simply substitute the vanilla sugar with additional regular sugar and add a teaspoon of vanilla to the recipe when you add the almond extract.
These cookies get their name from the way they are made. “Spritzen” means to force or pipe the dough into shapes.
This simple recipe can be the foundation for a number of variations of cookies. You can add food coloring to the dough to create other colors, frost the cookies, or sprinkle with all sorts of colorful toppings.
Another way I like to make these, other than using a cookie press, is to roll little balls of dough and then press my thumb into the top to form a bowl shape. Fill the bowl with some jelly or a chunk of chocolate before you bake them. Delicious!
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Spritzgebäck: German Butter Cookies (Spritz Cookies)
Ingredients
- 1 c unsalted butter, 2 sticks, room temperature
- 1 c sugar
- 1 Tb vanilla sugar, see notes
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 c all-purpose flour
- Optional:
- Frosting or icing
- sprinkles, colored sugar for decorating
Instructions
- To begin, preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- If you are using cookie sheets, lightly spray them with cooking spray. (I use un-sprayed parchment paper on baking stones.) Set those aside for now.
- Beat the butter and sugars together until they are nice and fluffy.
- Add in the almond extract, egg, and egg yolk. Mix those well.
- Add in the flour, a little at a time with mixer going on its lowest speed. Mix until all of the flour is combined.
- Scoop your cookie dough into a cookie press and press the cookies into whatever shape you like onto your cookie sheet or parchment paper. (See notes for thumbprint cookies.) I normally make 12 cookies at a time, giving them plenty of room.
- Sprinkle colored sugar on top if you like.
- Bake for 6-9 minutes, or until you cookies are just getting golden on the edges. Allow them to cool completely. Repeat with all of the dough until you have baked all the cookies.
- Decorate with frosting, candies, or however you wish – if you wish.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
If nutritional values are provided for this recipe, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands of ingredients you use. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste or for serving. If nutritional values are very important to you, I suggest using your favorite nutritional calculating tool with the brands you use.
This recipe was shared in “Goodie Plan Monday.”
Love Spritzgebäck! Now I really really want one. I’ll have to make some this weekend.
Constance, these are gorgeous! Nothing like a buttery little cookie with a nice cuppa tea. I think the reason I don’t make this type of cookie very often is I dread cleaning out the press. Tell me it isn’t that bad!
I love the little Christmas tree ones!
Constance!
I love butter cookies and your look so cute!! I will try your recipe for sure!
Beautiful butter cookies. I can almost taste them melting in my mouth.
I love butter cookies! My mom used to make them every year for Christmas! Now that I’m an adult I don’t make them as often as I should… I’m not good at using a cookie press! My mom’s recipe is the exact same as yours, but uses lemon extract instead of almond. You’ve inspired me to attempt the cookie press once again! :-)
Your spritz look so perfect! I can never get mine even and pretty looking. I’ll have to try your recipe and see if that does the trick! Thanks for joining the party!