Spritz Buttery Festive Cookies (Printable Version)

Buttery, delicate cookies pressed into festive shapes, perfect for holidays or celebrations.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 large egg, at room temperature
04 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
05 - 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
06 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

→ Decoration (optional)

08 - Colored sanding sugar
09 - Chocolate for drizzling
10 - Sprinkles

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or leave ungreased if nonstick.
02 - Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
03 - Add egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using; mix until fully combined.
04 - Gradually add flour and salt, mixing until a soft dough forms, scraping the bowl as needed.
05 - Fill cookie press with dough according to manufacturer instructions; press shapes directly onto prepared sheets about 1 inch apart.
06 - Add colored sugar or sprinkles to shaped cookies as desired.
07 - Bake cookies for 7-9 minutes or until edges begin to turn golden.
08 - Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Once cooled, drizzle cookies with melted chocolate if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They come together in less than an hour from mixing bowl to cooling rack, leaving time for the good stuff like enjoying them still warm.
  • One batch yields 48 cookies, which means there's always a container ready for unexpected guests or those moments when you need something to quiet your own cravings.
02 -
  • The dough must stay soft; chilling it will make it too stiff to go through the press, and warming the press itself if the dough keeps breaking helps more than you'd think.
  • Baking for even 30 seconds too long turns these delicate cookies crisp and almost hard, so set a timer and listen for the moment the kitchen stops smelling like raw dough and starts smelling like caramel.
03 -
  • Keep the mixer bowl and beaters cold by chilling them for 15 minutes before you start; cold equipment helps incorporate air into the butter and sugar more efficiently.
  • If the dough seems to resist going through the press, warm it slightly by wrapping the press in a warm kitchen towel for a minute or two, which softens the dough without making it greasy.
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