Classic Buttery Spritz Cookies | Wilton (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to making 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.

Do not use parchment paper or a Silpat mat. The dough will not stick when pressed. Light colored baking sheets produce lighter colored cookie. Dark pans promote browning.

Cookie presses work best on ungreased sheet pans without lining them with parchment paper. If you find your cookies spread too much in the oven and you are sure you didn't mismeasure the ingredients, try placing the sheet pan in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill the spritz cookies before baking them.

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

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.

Make sure the log is short enough and thin enough to fit in the cookie press barrel. 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. Use thin doughs like sugar cookie dough and spritz dough instead.

*Perfect spritz dough has a soft malleable texture that is not too sticky or stiff. Creamed butter and sugar is the foundation of great spritz cookies.

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.

Why are my spritz cookies going flat? ›

The Problem: The Butter Is Too Soft

Room temperature butter is just the right consistency to incorporate air when it's creamed with sugar. These trapped air pockets result in risen, fluffy cookies. If the butter is any warmer, it won't incorporate enough air and your cookies will have less rise.

Layer delicate cookies, such as spritz or gingerbread men, between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container. So how long do cookies last like this? The cookies will stay fresh at room temperature or in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or freeze the cookies up to 3 months.

If it's too cold, it'll be hard to squeeze out of the pres. If it's too warm, it'll be too soft, and it won't hold its shape when baked. Holding your hand on the tube will warm the dough, so try to use just one hand on the trigger – place your other hand on the cookie sheet to keep it from moving.

Grease Your Pan

If the recipe calls for a greased pan or sheet, our Test Kitchen recommends using shortening, which spreads less than butter because it melts at a higher temperature. Here's how: Apply a little bit of shortening to a paper towel or piece of waxed paper.