Spritz Butter Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between butter cookies and spritz cookies? ›

These cookies are nearly identical, except for one ingredient: egg.

If the dough is sticking to the bottom of the press instead of adhering to the pan, it might be too soft. Place it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 minutes and try again. Butter is highly recommended when making Spritz cookie dough.

You can't squeeze any cookie dough recipe through a cookie press, and that's because most are too thick to go through. Instead, you'll make a specific type of cookie called a spritz cookie.

Cookies spread because the fat in the cookie dough melts in the oven. If there isn't enough flour to hold that melted fat, the cookies will over-spread. Spoon and level that flour or, better yet, weigh your flour. If your cookies are still spreading, add an extra 2 Tablespoons of flour to the cookie dough.

*Also don't grease the sheets or use parchment paper. Spritz cookies release easily when made right! *Don't let your dough sit out so long that it gets dry or so warm that the butter begins to separate.

Simply adding the flour to the stand mixer and beating it in runs the risk of overdeveloping gluten and giving you a tough or dense cookie (not what you want after all that work with the creaming). Instead, the best method is to add the flour and mix it in by hand, stopping as soon as no dry flour remains.

Improper flour measurement is the #1 cause of your cookie dough being too dry or the cookies tasting like flour.

If you decide to use icing make sure the cookies are cooled completely before decorating them and don't add any sprinkles before baking. This spritz cookies recipe bakes quickly so keep an eye on them, you don't want them to brown they should just be starting to turn ever so slightly golden at the edges.

Loading the Cookie Press

To save time, buy premade cookie dough that comes in a log shape. Avoid using cookie dough that has big pieces like chocolate chips or nuts in it.

Cookie presses are useful tools for making perfectly buttery spritz cookies every time. The OXO Good Grips Cookie Press Set takes the top spot on our list for its ergonomic design and disk options.

Which is better electric or manual cookie press? ›

A manual cookie press is usually more affordable than an electric one, but it requires more physical exertion and can be tiresome after making a few cookie batches. Most electric cookie presses have a simple, one-button operation and let you cut cookies for extended periods without exhausting your arms and hands.

Mistake 3: There's too much sugar or not enough flour

If you're heavy-handed when measuring, that extra sugar means extra liquid and more spread when baking in the oven. Using too little flour could lead to flat cookies, too. Learning how to measure ingredients is key to good baking.

If your cookie contains excess sugar or fat, it will spread while baking. If your first batch of cookies spreads, try adding a few tablespoons of flour to help thicken the remaining dough.

The most obvious and easiest fix is to add more liquid. Very slowly, teaspoon by teaspoon, add a liquid that you've already included to your dough. Mix after each teaspoon—you don't want to over-saturate it and risk gooey dough. Don't overmix, because this might lead to the problem you're trying to fix!

The name spritz comes from the German word spritzen, meaning "to squirt" because the soft dough is squirted or pushed through a cookie press to make fancy designs. Butter is responsible for the tender, rich texture and flavor of these incredible cookies.

Butter cookies, also known as Danish butter cookies, are cookies originating in Denmark consisting of butter, flour, and sugar. They are similar to shortbread cookies. The butter cookie is often categorized as a "crisp cookie" due to its texture, caused in part by the quantity of butter and sugar.

All spritz cookies are made from buttery dough consisting of flour, sugar, eggs, and butter. The dough is forced through a cylinder with a calibrated plunger of some type. The cookies emerge onto the pan in special shapes because they are squeezed through a patterned disk at one end of the cylinder.

The difference between butter cookies and shortbread cookies is the amount butter in the recipe vs the amount of sugar. Butter cookies typically are made using more sugar and less butter than shortbread. Shortbread cookies contain more butter, which gives them their amazing crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture.