Old fashioned spritz cookies bring a buttery, tender bite and cheerful pressed shapes to a holiday cookie tray. The dough comes together with softened butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, almond extract, flour, and a little baking powder, then goes straight through a cookie press onto an ungreased pan. In about eight minutes, the edges turn lightly golden while the centers stay delicate. Sprinkles, food coloring, or a drizzle of white chocolate let you make each batch your own.
What makes old fashioned spritz cookies special?
Spritz cookies are shaped by pressing soft dough through a cookie press rather than rolling and cutting it. That method gives them crisp outlines and plenty of small ridges for catching sugar or chocolate. The high butter ratio keeps the texture tender, while one egg gives the cookies enough structure to hold their shapes. Vanilla adds familiar sweetness and almond extract supplies the subtle bakery note that makes this style taste festive.
Why the dough works
Room-temperature butter is important because it must whip smoothly with the sugar. Proper creaming adds lightness without turning the dough airy or fragile. The flour is mixed only until combined, so the cookies remain tender instead of chewy. Since spritz dough should be soft enough to press, avoid adding extra flour unless the dough is genuinely too loose to hold a shape. A clean, dry, ungreased pan gives the dough something to grip as it is pressed.
Ingredients for old fashioned spritz cookies
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Assorted sprinkles, optional, for decorating
- Gel food coloring, optional
- Melted white chocolate, optional, for decorating
How to make them
Set the butter out ahead of time so it presses easily when gently indented with a fingertip. Have the cookie press fitted with the shape you want, and keep the baking sheets at room temperature. A warm or greased sheet can make the dough slide instead of sticking.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Beat the softened butter and sugar for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond extract, then scrape down the bowl.
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt; beat just until combined. Add food coloring if desired.
- Transfer dough to a cookie press and pipe onto an ungreased, room-temperature baking sheet.
- Top with sprinkles if desired.
- Bake 7–9 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. Cool and decorate as desired.
Serving ideas
Serve old fashioned spritz cookies with coffee, tea, or hot cocoa, or arrange them on a holiday dessert platter beside fruit and chocolate candies. Their small size makes them useful for a cookie exchange because guests can sample several shapes without committing to a large dessert. For a concrete use case, pack cooled cookies in a shallow tin with parchment between layers and bring them to a school gathering or winter potluck.
Tips for clean shapes
If the dough will not release from the press, check the pan first: it should be bare, ungreased, dry, and cool. Press one cookie at a time with the press held upright and touching the sheet. If the dough is too firm, the butter may have been too cold or the flour may have been packed too heavily. If shapes spread, the butter may have been overly soft or the dough overmixed. Bake one test cookie before pressing the full batch so you can adjust the consistency safely.
Optional variation
For an optional variation, divide the dough and tint one portion pale green or red with gel food coloring. Press each color with a different disc, or add a small amount of melted white chocolate after baking and cooling. Keep the base dough unchanged so the cookies retain their classic buttery texture. Sprinkles are easiest to add before baking; chocolate is best drizzled after the cookies are completely cool.
Storage and decorating
Let the cookies cool fully on the baking sheet before moving them, since their centers are delicate while warm. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week, separating decorated layers with parchment. If using white chocolate, allow it to set before stacking. The baked cookies can also be frozen in a sealed container for about two months; thaw them at room temperature while still covered to reduce condensation.
FAQ: old fashioned spritz cookies
Why are my spritz cookies not sticking to the pan?
The pan should be ungreased, clean, dry, and at room temperature. Parchment and silicone mats can prevent the dough from gripping the surface.
Can I make the dough without almond extract?
Yes. Replace it with the same amount of vanilla extract, or omit it for a simpler butter-and-vanilla flavor.
How do I know when they are done?
Look for lightly golden edges. The centers should still look pale and tender rather than deeply browned.
A festive cookie-press classic
Old fashioned spritz cookies reward a few simple details: softened but not melted butter, a cool ungreased pan, and a short bake. Once the dough presses cleanly, you can vary the shapes and decorations while keeping the same tender, buttery base. Make them for a cookie exchange, a holiday platter, or a quiet afternoon with a warm drink.
Old Fashioned Spritz Cookies
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- assorted sprinkles for decorating
- gel food coloring optional
- melted white chocolate optional for decorating
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Beat the softened butter and sugar for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond extract, then scrape down the bowl.
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt; beat just until combined. Add food coloring if desired.
- Transfer dough to a cookie press and pipe onto an ungreased, room-temperature baking sheet.
- Top with sprinkles if desired.
- Bake 7–9 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. Cool and decorate as desired.
