Buttery Spritz Cookies

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For some people, the challenge of extravagant Christmas Cookies is a welcomed seasonal feat. For others of us who aren’t so at home in our kitchen, the idea of six mixing bowls and weaving together different colored dough for perfectly crafted, peppermint sprinkled candy cane cookies is stress-inducing to even think about (or write about).

Thankfully, this cookie recipe produces 70 stellar cookies to ring in the holiday season with minimal effort, while looking like they took a whole lot more work than they actually were.

Prep Time: 15 min

Makes: 1 Dozen

Ingredients

1 CUP UNSALTED BUTTER, ROOM TEMPERATURE
3/4 CUP GRANULATED SUGAR
1 LARGE EGG
1 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT
1 TSP ALMOND EXTRACT
2 1/4 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
1/2 TSP SALT
RED GEL ICING COLOR
GREEN GEL ICING COLOR
SPRINKLES

NOTE: requires cookie press (like this one from Amazon)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats. I don’t recommend parchment paper with these cookies. You want the cookie dough to stick to the surface you press them onto and parchment paper is non-stick. Set cookie sheets aside.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. You should be able to see the mixture lighten in color and get a creamy texture and know it’s ready.
Add the egg and mix until well combined.
Add the vanilla extract and almond extract and mix until well combined.
Add the flour and salt and mix until the dough is combined, then remove the bowl from the mixer and finish combining with a rubber spatula, if needed. Do not over mix.
If coloring some of the cookie dough, divide it into sections. I used white, red, and green, so I divided it evenly into three parts.
Use the gel icing color to color the dough. Add small amounts, to begin with, then add more as needed. You can always add additional color, but can’t remove it if you add too much. Adding too much liquid will thin out your cookie dough.
Add one of the colors of cookie dough to your cookie press (like this one) and follow the directions for your press to set it up. Hold the cookie press perpendicular to your cookie sheet and press out the cookies. They can be fairly close together since they don’t really spread.
Decorate the cookies with sprinkles, if desired.
Bake cookies for 5-8 minutes. I prefer them nice and soft, so I bake for 5 minutes but feel free to increase that time and adjust based on your oven.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for 4-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Buttery Spritz Cookies