Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Cookie Recipes Cookie-Press Cookies 4.0 (367) 30 Reviews Rich, buttery, and made with lots of vanilla, these cookies are a much-loved classic. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 9, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Servings: 24 to 36 Yield: 2 to 3 dozen cookies Jump to recipe Cookie press cookies, also known as spritz cookies, are a classic treat enjoyed during the holiday season. These buttery vanilla-flavored treats are crisp and tender with a crumbly finish and a well-rounded flavor, much like shortbread or another butter cookie recipe. What sets them apart is that spritz cookie dough is fed through a handheld cookie press fitted with decorative disks that can pipe a variety of decorative patterns. During the holidays, you'll likely want to pipe wreaths, Christmas trees, stars, and stockings to get into the festive spirit. Decorate them with sanding sugar or sprinkles before baking or with frosting or melted chocolate once they have baked and cooled. 8 of Martha's All-Time Favorite Christmas Cookies Jake Sternquist What Is Spritz Cookie Dough? Simple and understated, spritz cookies aren’t so different from many of our other favorite butter cookies. They have a buttery flavor and a soft, crisp, and tender texture. Spritz comes from the German word "spritzen," which translates to "to squirt." The dough is passed through a press to create decorative individual cookies. Their flavor is similar to shortbread in that they are very butter and vanilla-forward. Unlike shortbread, cookie press recipes also contain egg yolks, which makes the dough softer and more pliable so that it easily flows through the cookie press. The texture of the dough is similar to Play-Doh—it’s a bit tacky and malleable, yet not too stiff or sticky that it will get stuck in the press. The key is to cream the butter and sugar together well. You want the mixture to be very light, fluffy, and lightened in color. No Mixer, No Problem: Here's How to Cream Butter and Sugar by Hand How to Use a Cookie Press A cookie press is a hollow tube with a decorative disk and nozzle at one end and a press (or plunger) at the other. The dough is fitted into the tube and gently pressed onto baking sheets. Swap in different disks, and one cookie press can produce cookies in dozens of fun and festive shapes, from the more traditional pinwheels and flowers to holiday trees and wreaths. Follow these tips for perfect spritz cookies after each squeeze. Choose the disk and assemble the press: Start by putting together the press. Choose the disk with your preferred decoration, attach it to the nozzle, and connect the tube. Divide the dough into logs: You’ll want to work in small log-shaped portions, especially if you plan to use more than one disk to create different shapes. The logs should be about ½-inch smaller than the circumference of the press. Additionally, make the logs slightly shorter than the length of the press, especially until you get the hang of it. Practice a few squeezes: Do a few practice runs to get a good feel of how much pressure you need to use to get a full, evenly-pressed cookie. Bake the cookies: These cookies don’t spread very much, so press them pretty close together on the baking sheets. If you’re adding a decoration like sprinkles or sanding sugar, add to the dough before they go into the oven. Don't grease or line the baking sheets with parchment paper: Press the cookies directly onto baking sheets. There’s enough butter in the dough that the cookies won’t stick to the pan. Plus, the spritz nozzle can sometimes stick to the parchment paper, making it harder to pipe. 5 Ways to Decorate Cookie Press Cookies Cookie press cookies are delicious plain but we rarely serve them like that because they are also a fun blank canvas for all kinds of easy decorations. Here are a few of our favorite ways to enhance spritz cookies: Tint some of the cookie dough with red or green food coloring before putting it into the cookie press—and then decorate with any of the following ideas. Sprinkle colored sanding sugar (one color or several) over the cookies before they are baked. Top the cookies with jimmies or other decorations before baking. Decorate baked and cooled cookies by dipping them into a simple glaze and then sprinkling with sanding sugar. Drizzle with melted chocolate (use a freezer bag with a corner cut off as a piping bag to control the drizzle). Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter 1 cup sugar 2 large egg yolks 3 ¾ cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract Colored sanding sugars Directions Jake Sternquist Preheat oven; cream butter and sugar: Heat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Jake Sternquist Mix in yolks, flour, salt, and vanilla: Add egg yolks, flour, salt, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Jake Sternquist Fill cookie press with dough: Fill a cookie press with the dough, and turn out cookies 1 to 2 inches apart onto an unbuttered baking sheet. Jake Sternquist If the cookie dough sticks to the cookie press, use your fingers or a knife to release it and place onto the cookie sheet. Jake Sternquist Sprinkle cookies with sanding sugar: Sprinkle cookies with colored sanding sugars. Jake Sternquist Bake and cool: Bake until the cookies are lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes. To ensure even baking, rotate sheet halfway through the baking process. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. Jake Sternquist Storing Spritz Cookies Once cooled, cookie press cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. If the cookies are drizzled with chocolate or piped with icing, store them in a single layer (or arrange them carefully between layers of parchment or waxed paper). Frequently Asked Questions Can I make spritz cookie dough ahead of time? No, we do not recommend making spritz cookie dough ahead of time. The dough is best used the same day it's made. It can be held at room temperature for about an hour, but we don’t recommend refrigerating or freezing this dough. Why are my spritz cookies flat? If your spritz cookies are flat, a common cause is using butter that is too cold or too soft. The butter needs to be at the right temperature when you mix your dough. Too soft, and it can leach out of the dough when the cookies hit the oven. Too cold, and you might have to beat the dough too long, and over-mixing can cause the cookies to deflate. How do I keep spritz cookies from spreading? The best way to keep spritz cookies from spreading is to use ungreased baking sheets when making them. Grease is what will make spritz cookies spread. Press the dough directly onto ungreased cookie sheets and you won't have any spreading issues. More Butter Cookie Recipes to Try: Butter Pecan Cookies Brown-Butter Cookies Lemony Brown-Butter Crinkle Cookies Danish Butter Cookies Greek Butter Cookies (Kourabiedes) Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, December/January 1999 Rate It PRINT Updated by Riley Wofford Riley Wofford Riley Wofford is a recipe developer, food stylist, and writer with over 15 years of experience and holds a Professional Culinary Arts diploma from the International Culinary Center. In addition to MarthaStewart.com, Riley's work can be found in TODAY.com, Delish, Food52, and Marley Spoon.