Christmas Spritz Cookies Best Buttery German Spritz

These soft, buttery Christmas Spritz cookies are a holiday favorite, sweetened with sprinkles and full of classic flavor! Using a spritz cookie press, you can create these traditional German butter cookies in fun holiday shapes, making it a sweet, hands-on activity to enjoy with the kids. Their melt-in-your-mouth texture and decorative designs make them the perfect cookie for your Christmas dessert platter.

Classic Spritz cookies are traditional German butter cookies that are made during the holiday season.  German spritzgebäck cookies are from Germany and Scandinavian countries. The word spritz comes from the German word Spritzen which means “to squirt”. 

Buttery spritz cookies are made by using a spritz cookie press, that squirts out the delightful cookies. I have tried 3 different spritz cookie presses and the electric cookie press that plugs in has lasted the longest and makes the best homemade cookies. The Spritz cookie press uses various shapes to make the most beautiful cookies for Christmas time. 

Spritz cookies are a cross between a sugar cookie and shortbread cookies. They are perfect for Christmas time as they are easy to make even the first time. They are so much fun to make with simple ingredients and the kids will love all the cute shapes with the cookie press. Even my 3-year-old granddaughter was able to use the press with a little help to keep it steady. She likes the green trees and the red poinsettias and the star shapes. 

This easy spritz cookie recipe is the traditional German recipe from my best friend’s mom, Inga Schultz passed down to me after making them in her kitchen for years during my childhood. Each Christmas season I loved spending the day with Mrs. Schultz making her spritz cookies. She used an old hand crank press. She was so kind as to allow me to write down the recipe to pass on to my family.

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Suggestions for a Spritz Press: 

• The electric one from Wolfgang Puck at HSN is no longer on their site and I have found that the one that runs on batteries just does not work well, they run out of power too fast. At our last Christmas cookie-baking party, the hand-operating presses work the best. 
• OXO Good Grips 14-Piece Cookie Press Set is the latest press we used with the grandaughter and it worked perfectly.
• My daughter bought this Spritz Cookie Press and it also worked well but the adults had to pull the trigger.
• You know I love mint green color, Nordic Ware Deluxe Deco Set.

Tips For The Perfect Buttery Spritz Cookie:

This process does take practice but it is very easy.  Remember you can always remove the dough from your cookie sheet and put it back in the press. 

• Add the all purpose flour by hand a little at a time.
• Do not butter or spray oil the cookie sheet, you need the pressed dough to stick to the pan to form the shape so use an ungreased cookie sheet. 
• Chill your baking pan for 15 minutes in the fridge as the dough sticks to the pan better when the pans are chilled.
• Use a cool cookie sheet each time (Click Here for Extra Cookie Sheets)
• Clean off the cookie sheets after each baking.
• Chill the spritz cookie dough for about 15 minutes.
• Do not over-chill the dough or it will be too hard.
• Do not let it get too soft or it will not hold up as the shape desired.
• Do not overhandle the cookie dough.
• Pack the dough firmly in the press cylinder a little dough at a time.
• Hold the press upright & set it on the baking tray to make the cookies.
• Press the button on the press until you feel some pushback, continue to press and lift up and release the button.
• Use a gel food coloring so that you do not water the soft dough down with liquid food coloring. 
• After baking transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. 

Storing Christmas Spritz Cookies:

Cooled cookies can be stored in a cookie jar or plastic airtight container for up to a week. I also put a saltine cracker in the container.  The cracker absorbs any water that is in the air and keeps the cookie fresher longer.  Spritz cookies are also perfect to freeze to save for later if you make them early in the month.  The cookie dough can be refrigerated for a few days, the dough will have to be set out to warm up to room temperature, as it needs to be the correct consistency for the cookie press.

Spritz Cookie Decorating

• Plan
• Sprinkles
• Sanding Sugar
• Powdered Sugar Milk drizzle glaze

Simple Ingredients for the Perfect Spritz Cookie: 

• 1 Stick of unsalted Butter, softened
• 1 Stick of Margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• pinch of Salt
• 3 1/2 cups all purpose Flour
• 1 heaping teaspoon Baking Powder
• optional gel food coloring 

How to Make Chrismas Spritz Cookies:

1. Put softened unsalted butter & Margarine in an electric mixer until the butter mixture is fluffy.
2. Next, add the sugar 1/2 cup at a time alternating with the eggs.
3. Add Vanilla Extract.
4. Mix the flour, salt & baking powder. 
5. Add the flour mixture by hand to the butter mixture a little at a time.
6. Do not overwork.
7. Chill the dough for about 15 minutes.
8. Chill your baking pan for 15 minutes in the fridge as the dough sticks to the pan better when the pans are chilled.
9. Load your Spritz Cookie Press per the instructions.
10. If the dough is too soft, chill a little more, if too stiff let the dough sit out.
11. Press the cookies onto an ungreased Cookie Sheet.
12. Add any sprinkles or sanding sugar at this time before baking.
13. Bake at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes.

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