Simple Cooking: Spritz Cookies

By Molly Durham in Food on Dec 8, 2011 7:00PM

We're in a cookie state of mind. Forget needing an occasion to bake these, spritz are a very simple standby cookie that can probably be made from any baker's stock of regular ingredients.

A traditional Christmas cookie in Scandinavian countries, spritz are similar to sugar cookies, but the added almond in them gives them some extra flavor. That and the generous amount of butter involved here make them stand out from plan ol' sugar cookies. The name comes from "spritzen," which is German for "to squirt or spray." While they're traditionally made using a cookie press, you could use this dough any way you want. Roll it out and use cookie cutters or shape it however you like.

This recipe makes a whole lot of cookies, about 7 dozen small ones.

Spritz Cookies recipe (adapted from Wilton's)

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon (heaping) almond extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Combine flour and baking powder in a bowl. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add egg, milk, vanilla and almond extract; mix well, about another 4 minutes. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat until combined. Do not chill, you want the dough to be nice and soft for the cookie press.

Fill cookie press with dough and with desired disks, press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet. For regular shapes, place cookie press flat on sheet, and push crank down twice lightly. For longer strips, hold press at an angle and crank until desired length is achieved, then cut the dough.

Bake 7 minutes for smaller cookies (like the Christmas trees) and 9 minutes for larger ones, or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet on cooling rack. Remove from sheet; cool completely.