Buttery Cookies Fun

Featured in Sweet Treats and Baked Favorites.

These soft treats mix butter, sugar, and extracts for a rich and tender cookie. Shape them with ease, and add sprinkles or colors to make them perfect for the holidays.

Aisha
Updated on Sat, 22 Mar 2025 16:04:13 GMT
Holiday cookies in various shapes decorated with red and green icing on a plate. Pin it
Holiday cookies in various shapes decorated with red and green icing on a plate. | cookingflavor.com

These handcrafted Traditional Spritz Cookies bring a buttery, soft bite that's perfect for holiday treats. They're super easy to make using a cookie press that forms fun seasonal shapes. Coming from German traditions, these cookies pack rich butter flavor with subtle notes of almond and vanilla. You can keep them simple with a sprinkle of colored sugar or go all out with chocolate bits and decorative toppings for a standout addition on any cookie tray.

What Makes These Cookies Special

These spritz treats hit the sweet spot between buttery cookies and shortbread, with a texture that melts away as you eat them—way better than anything from the store. The best part? No waiting around for dough to chill, so you'll have dozens ready in no time. You can switch up shapes and decorations however you want, making them great for Christmas, birthdays or any celebration.

What You'll Need

  • Cookie Dough Basics:
    • 2 cups softened unsalted butter
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs at room temperature
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
    • 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Decoration Options:
    • Colored sugar
    • Nonpareils
    • Mini chocolate chips
    • Gel food coloring
  • Tools You'll Need:
    • Cookie press with design plates
    • Ungreased baking sheets
    • Electric mixer
    • Cooling racks

How To Make Them

Mix Your Base
Whip butter and sugar together until they're fluffy and light, around 3 minutes. Drop in eggs one by one, then pour in the vanilla and almond extracts. Stir in flour and salt just until everything comes together.
Add Some Color
Split your dough and mix in food coloring if you want. Blend until the color looks even, but don't overdo the mixing.
Get Pressing
Put your dough into the cookie press with whatever design you picked. Press cookies straight onto cool, clean baking sheets without greasing.
Dress Them Up
Top with colored sugar or other decorations before they go in the oven. Press lightly so toppings stick.
Finish Them Off
Bake at 375°F for about 5-7 minutes until they're done but not brown. Let them sit on the pan for 2 minutes, then move to cooling racks.

Tricks For Perfect Results

Always start with butter that's been sitting out to soften. Don't let your dough get too warm while working with it. Wipe off the press plates between batches for crisp shapes. Having trouble with cookies sticking to the sheet? Try putting your baking sheet in the fridge for a bit. Never grease your pans as this stops cookies from sticking properly. Always test one cookie first to check if your dough feels right.

A plate of festive snowflake-shaped cookies decorated with red and green icing, surrounded by holiday decorations. Pin it
A plate of festive snowflake-shaped cookies decorated with red and green icing, surrounded by holiday decorations. | cookingflavor.com

Ways To Make Them Pretty

Mix and match different press plates and colors for fun combos. Try drizzling melted chocolate over cookies once they've cooled. Make little sandwich cookies using chocolate or jam between pairs. For a simple look, dust them with powdered sugar. Match your colors and sprinkles to the season. They make great gifts wrapped in clear bags or pretty tins too.

Keeping Them Fresh

Keep them in sealed containers at room temp for up to a week. Put some wax paper between layers so they don't mess up the designs. Want to save them longer? Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months in containers made for freezing. Just let them warm up before serving. You can also make the dough ahead and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days, but remember to bring it back to room temp before using your press.

Frequently Asked Questions

→ Why won't parchment paper work?

Cookie dough needs a surface to grab when pressed, and parchment is too slippery. Silicone mats do the trick just fine.

→ What does creamed butter and sugar look like?

It'll turn pale and fluffy after a few minutes of mixing, usually around 3-4 minutes.

→ Can I change the dough's color?

Sure, use gel coloring. Add little by little, since too much liquid can affect the dough. Split the dough for different hues.

→ How long will they stay fresh?

If you keep them in a sealed container, they'll taste great for about a week.

→ Spreading cookies—what gives?

They usually stay put in the oven. If yours spread, the dough might be too soft. Chill it a bit before shaping to fix it.

Conclusion

These cookies have a rich buttery bite and are fun to make for festive gatherings. Their pressed shapes and customizable details make them a holiday favorite.

Buttery Cookies Fun

Soft buttery cookies you can color and dress up for festive vibes. Shaped easily with a handy cookie press.

Prep Time
35 Minutes
Cook Time
5 Minutes
Total Time
40 Minutes
By: Aicha

Category: Desserts

Difficulty: Intermediate

Cuisine: American

Yield: 70 Servings (About 65-70 cookies)

Dietary: Vegetarian

Ingredients

01 224g (1 cup) butter, unsalted and softened.
02 155g (3/4 cup) white sugar.
03 1 large egg, beaten.
04 A teaspoon of vanilla extract.
05 A teaspoon of almond extract.
06 293g (about 2 1/4 cups) plain flour.
07 Half a teaspoon of salt.
08 Optional: Red icing gel for color.
09 Optional: Green icing gel for color.
10 Decorative sprinkles.

Instructions

Step 01

Heat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Use silicone mats to cover baking sheets. Skip the parchment paper since cookies need to cling to the surface.

Step 02

In a big bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed. Keep mixing until it's fluffy and looks pale, which takes around 3-4 minutes.

Step 03

Add the egg, then mix well. Stir in both almond and vanilla extracts until everything's properly blended.

Step 04

Pour in the flour and salt, then mix until the dough comes together. If it’s too crumbly, finish mixing by hand with a spatula. Avoid overmixing.

Step 05

If you’re adding colors, split the dough into sections. Carefully mix in your gel colors a tiny bit at a time.

Step 06

Place dough into a cookie press and follow its directions. Press onto the sheet at a right angle, spacing the cookies close since they won’t spread.

Step 07

Top the cookies with sprinkles if you’d like.

Step 08

Pop the cookies into the oven for 5-8 minutes. For softer ones, go for 5 minutes.

Step 09

Let the baked cookies sit on the tray for 4-5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Notes

  1. Silicone mats work better than parchment paper.
  2. You can tint the dough with food gel.
  3. Keeps fresh in a sealed container for a week.

Tools You'll Need

  • Cookie press.
  • Stand mixer or hand mixer.
  • Silicone mats for baking.
  • Baking trays.

Allergy Information

Please check ingredients for potential allergens and consult a health professional if in doubt.
  • Includes dairy.
  • Contains eggs.
  • Has wheat.
  • Contains almond (tree nut) extract.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

It is important to consider this information as approximate and not to use it as definitive health advice.
  • Calories: 48
  • Total Fat: 2.7 g
  • Total Carbohydrate: 5.2 g
  • Protein: ~