My mother and I have been making spritz cookies since I was a little girl. And while I always enjoyed them, they were never a favorite of mine, until now. This recipe from Wilton makes a very flavorful and buttery cookie as opposed to some recipes that are a bit more bland and dry. And it is immediately apparent to me that this recipe calls for more butter and extract than my mother’s recipe which would explain why I like it more!
I had a blast baking and decorating spritz with my boys. The Wilton Cookie Press is extremely easy to use and squeeze, even my two year old had enough hand strength to pull the trigger. This is a very easy way to make gorgeous looking cookies without having to roll out any dough and the Comfort Grip Cookie Press that I’m using retails for only $12.99! It can also be used for year round spritz cookies with discs like the heart for Valentine’s Day, flower for spring and summer and pumpkin for fall baking.
- 1½ cups butter (3 sticks)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Cream butter and sugar thoroughly. Add egg, milk, vanilla and almond extract. Beat well. Stir together dry ingredients (flour & baking powder) in separate bowl and gradually add to creamed mixture. Mix until dough is smooth. DO NOT CHILL!
- Add dough to a cookie press with disc.
- Press out cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly golden just around edges.
- Cool completely on wire rack. Decorate if desired.
If you aren’t familiar with how to use a cookie press, it is pretty easy. Shape some dough into a log and place in cookie press, with plunger rod all the way up.
Make sure that you can read “THIS SIDE OUT” on the disc. (Takes the guesswork out, doesn’t it?) Add ring to end of press, securing the disc in place.
Make sure the the divots on plunger are facing the handle (shown below) and clicks when you press on the handle. Your cookie press won’t work otherwise.
Hold press upright with the ring resting firmly again a cool, UNGREASED cookie sheet. Do not use parchment paper. Trust me, your cookies will not stick with all that butter in the dough! Squeeze the trigger to form a cookie. This was a fabulous activity for my boys ages 4 and 2. Both had a enough strength to use the gun with just a bit of help from me and was a great motor skills exercise! One click is one cookie, with the exception of the ribbon disc where you will want to click twice to form a cookie. To change cookie designs, change discs. Once cooled, it is time to decorate!
I learned several fabulous tips during my trip to Wilton in October. One of which was a great way of organizing decorating sprinkles, jimmies, sugars and pearls. A muffin tin works great to keep them secure and the cups make for easy dipping and clean up!
Another trick I learned was the use of clear piping gel for applying anything and everything to the cookies. Simply add piping gel to a decorating bag (you don’t need a ton) and pick a small tip. I used a number 3 tip and is was just right. Then dip the cookie into the muffin cup or add your items by hand. (If you don’t have piping gel or a bag and tip, you can use corn syrup in a pinch to make your decorations stick.)
Because the gel is thicker it doesn’t run and is very easy to work with. It dries clear and is just sugar so it doesn’t distract from the taste. Use a toothpick to move and shape. I added piping gel to the cookies and my boys most of the dipping, which was their favorite part. I highly recommend the Holiday Mix Crunch that I’m using in the pictures. The mint combined with the spritz is a fabulous flavor combination.
Just look at these golden cookies of buttery goodness. Yummy!
They turned out better than I ever imagined. How can you eat just one? Thankfully they are small or I’d be in trouble.
Spritz cookie recipe courtesy of Wilton and can be found on the Wilton Cookie Press package.
Disclosure – As a Wilton Mom Ambassador I was provided with some of the Wilton products used in this post but most baking materials were purchase by myself. Opinions expressed are my 100% own and are not influenced by monetary compensation.
thanks for letting me know that the press is available…I’ve wanted one for years….will check out our local shop and see if they have one….as my husband is diabetic, I think I will be able to make some sugar free cookies for him..he always gets left out of the cooky baking….so this would be a very nice surprise for him….
Yum, they look beautiful AND delicious. Your boys look like they had a great time decorating them too.
Awesome fun!!! I have one of those Pampered Chef cookie presses and the stinkin’ thing doesn’t work. I might have to get myself a Wilton one!
THANKS!!!
Those look incredibly yummy! Looks like the boys were having fun 🙂
Great job! I LOVE my cookie press…but it gets addicting. I get mad when I run out of batter lol
I wish I could be a part of their ambassador program so cool!
Girl, you are amazing! I tried these tonight and had the worst conversation with my cookie press. That thing did not like me one bit. But you did inspire me to run out and buy those pretty decorating sugars.
Oh good (or not good?), I’m not the only one!
Thanks for the decorating tips. I will most definitely be using these from now on. Awesome!
i LOVE the idea of the muffin tin for decorations and although I already made spritz cookies (and they were gone in a couple of days!!)… I will definately try out this recipe next year. 😀
These look melt in your mouth yummy! Merry Christmas!
Wow thecookies are gorgeous. Love the simple, beautiful decorations!
These cookies are so cute and the taste is so simple. I love them!
Got a new press today! Really missed being able to make Spritz for my Christmas cookies this year. Tomorrow I’ll try out a batch. Thanks for the tip about the muffin tins and using the press. Your ideas rock. Keep sharing.
Those cookies look sooooo YUMMY!
I just got a cookie press for Christmas and am so excited to use it. Thanks for the recipe and decorating tips!
Oh you’ll love it! Let me know how they turn out. It is so much fun (and fast) to use the gun. Definitely get your boys involved as I think they’ll love it too. I’m going to do some hearts for Valentine’s Day!
I still didn’t get a stright answer of why I can’t use parchment paper. I cook everything on parchment paper with little clean up.
Kay, I completely understand why you love parchment so much! I use that or my silicone baking mats for almost everything I bake and love the easy cleanup and the results it produces. With this particular cookie, it creates really no mess to clean up after and makes a beautiful cookie bottom, without the need for parchment paper. They are a very small and buttery cookie so they are super easy to remove. I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to use it, I just really don’t think it is necessary for this one! Happy baking!
Tried this recipe today and the first time using a cookie press….a cheap cookie press. Wilton brand from Walmart for $10. They came out great and the recipe was great tasting as well. I broke the recipe up into a couple different batches as I added food coloring to them and before putting the dough in the press, I let it sit in the fridge for a few minutes so it wouldn’t be to warm. I found that after I load the press, the first 2 or 3 ccokies don’t form well or drop off like they should but after that it is great. Don’t give up.