It’s Day 3 of 12 Days of Cookies! If you’ve been following along, then you’ve already seen my Frosted Sugar Cookies & Christmas Tree Peanut Butter Blossoms. Today, I’m bringing you a classic, Holiday Spritz cookies!
I’ve been making spritz cookies for at least 30 years. Every year, my Mom would get out the old, metal cookie press and we’d make several dozen of these buttery cookies. Of course, the recipe came from the Betty Crocker Cooky Book , but sometimes we’d mix things up and add different flavoring.
This year, I made a peppermint and a chocolate Holiday Spritz cookie. For the peppermint spritz, I dyed half the dough red to create a fun swirl in the cookies. For the chocolate, I added dark chocolate cocoa powder to the dough to create the subtle hint of chocolate.
Both are so buttery and delicious… and I think my favorite Christmas cookie, ever. You can’t go wrong with simple.
I wondered though, what is the history of the spritz cookie? I mean… it’s history must go back further than my 1960’s cookbook.
According to the Baker’s Field Guide to Christmas Cookies, “spritz” is a German word that means “to squirt or spurt”. Which is exactly how you make these cookies. A cookie press or a pastry bag with a tip are needed to squirt the dough onto a baking sheet in various shapes.
In Germany, the spritz cookie is known as a Spritzgebäck and is made with flour, sugar, eggs and butter and is crisp, delicate, slightly dry and buttery. Spritzgebäck cookies originated during the Medieval European period and were derived from the gingerbread cookie Lebkuchen in the 1500s. Since then, the spritzgebäck became a household tradition during the holidays. (Source: ifood.tv)
Pretty interesting! I’ve been making a cookie for 3 decades that originated in the country I currently live in! How sweet!
Enjoy!
Holiday Spritz
Yield:
4-5 dozen cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 1oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
- red gel food coloring
- red sugar crystals
- red cinnamon candy balls
- holiday colors sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time and mix until smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all the egg has been incorporated.
- In three parts, add the flour and mix until just combined. Scrape the bowl.
- Separate the dough into two parts and remove half to another bowl.
Peppermint Cookies
- With the remaining half, add the peppermint extract and mix until combined.
- Remove half of the peppermint dough and set aside. With the remaining peppermint dough, add red gel food coloring and mix until incorporated.
- Fit a cookie press with a flower patterned disc. Push the white peppermint dough into one side of the barrel of the cookie press, pushing against the wall of the press. Add the red peppermint dough to the other side.
- Force the dough through the cookie press onto a prepared baking sheet.
- Sprinkle red sugar crystals onto each cookie.
- Bake 6-8 minutes or until set. DO NOT over-bake or allow to brown.
- Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. While still on the cookie sheet, press a red cinnamon candy ball into the center of each cookie.
Chocolate Cookies
- With the remaining cookie dough, mix in the melted chocolate.
- Fit a cookie press with a tree patterned disc. Fill the barrel with the chocolate dough.
- Force the dough through the cookie press onto a prepared baking sheet.
- Sprinkle holiday sprinkles onto each cookie.
- Bake 6-8 minutes or until set. DO NOT over-bake or allow to brown.
- Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Want more cookies?
Here is the complete list of the 12 Days of Cookies!- Day 1 – Frosted Sugar Cookies
- Day 2 – Christmas Tree Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Day 3 – Holiday Spritz
- Day 4 – Russian Tea Cakes
- Day 5 – Holi-Doodles
- Day 6 – Haystacks
- Day 7 – Lebkuchen
- Day 8 – Molasses Cookies
- Day 9 – Raspberry Thumbprints
- Day 10 – Peppermint Meringues
- Day 11 – Lemon Ricotta Cookies
- Day 12 – Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
Agreed. All time favorite. These are definitely my first memories of decorating cookies with my grandmother. I thought I was so special when I was coordinated enough to take over the job of spritzing. š
I also have been making these cookies for over 30 years and will never stop liking them nor my family. My grandmother taught me to make them when I was young, so sad my girls never were interested. Merry Christmas!!!
I have tried spritz cookies before with the actual tool to make them. Very simple.