How to Make Spritz Cookies

Pipe or press these delicate almond-flavored cookies into different shapes. Sprinkle them with colored sugar for extra sparkle!

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Cookie Christmas Holiday Winter Dessert

How to Make Spritz Cookies

Spritz are perhaps the most versatile holiday cookies, with their varied shapes and colors. And this recipe, which uses almond paste instead of ground almonds, gives the cookies delicate texture and rich flavor but also makes the dough smoother and easier to work with.

Follow this step-by-step to create your own Spritz Cookies. For the ingredient list, go to the Spritz Cookies recipe.

Get Started

Break up the almond paste into the bowl of your mixer.

Mix It Up

Add the sugar and mix on medium-low speed, using the beater attachment, until the almond paste is broken up into small pieces. It may become smooth at this point if the almond paste is very fresh.

Mix in Eggs

Add one egg white and continue mixing until the almond paste is very smooth. Scrape down the bowl and add the second egg; mix to incorporate.

Add Butter

Add the softened butter and beat on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides then mix in the almond extract.

Finish the Dough

Add the flour and salt, mix on low speed just until it is incorporated and very smooth.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment.

To Make Cookies With a Piping Bag

If you are using a piping bag to make the cookies, fit the bag with a large-star tip and fill the bag about 1/3 full of the spritz dough. Squeeze the dough out into simple stars. If the dough is not coming out of the bag smoothly, you can squeeze it back into the mixing bowl and add a teaspoon or two of heavy cream. Mix and refill the piping bag.

It doesn't matter what size your stars are; just be sure they are all the same size on the baking sheet. If you make some small and some large, they will not bake evenly.

Make an Impression for Jam Filling

Use your finger, dipped in a little water, to smooth the center of the cookie. This way you can fill the tops with jam after they are baked.

Get Creative

Sprinkle with colored sugar or leave them plain, depending on the look you want.

To Make Cookies With a Spritz Cookie Press

The best thing about a press is the variety of shapes you can easily achieve using just one dough. Here we've selected a wreath shape, but presses usually have dozens of options. If you switch shapes, be sure you have all the same-size cookies on one sheet or they will not bake evenly.

Press and Repeat

Fill the press according to its instructions and press the cookies out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Sprinkle with colored sugar or leave plain, depending on the look you want.

Bake Till Golden

Bake the cookies for about 5 minutes then rotate the tray. If you are baking more than one tray at a time, then also rotate from top to bottom in the oven. Because the two trays may have different-sized cookies, you will need to check for doneness frequently. The cookies are done when they just start to turn golden on the bottom.

Decorate — or Don't

Remove from the oven and cool completely. You can add a dot of jam to the tops of the star-shaped cookies or dip half the wreath in chocolate. Or, just leave them simple and let the almond flavor shine. They're delicious fresh from the oven but even better the next day and ready for packaging in tins for gifts.

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