Spritz cookies to bake with kids
Prep: 30 min · Cook: 14 min · Makes: about 40 cookies · For:
These crisp, buttery cookies are piped into pretty shapes and then half dipped in chocolate. They look like they came from a bakery, but they are made with just a few simple ingredients. Spritz comes from the German word for squirting, because the dough is pressed or piped into shapes.
Tips
- Very soft butter is the secret. The dough must be soft enough to pipe.
- Chill before baking so the ridges stay sharp.
- Pipe onto paper, not grease. The dough needs something to grip.
Little helpers
Piping is fun for older children, especially with a cookie press. Little ones can dip the cookies in chocolate and do the sprinkles, which is usually the favorite job of all.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp (1¾ sticks) soft butter
- ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- a pinch of salt
- 1 egg white (or 2 tbsp milk)
- 2 cups plus 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3½ oz semisweet or milk chocolate, for dipping
- colored sprinkles or small sugar stars
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt until pale and very creamy, about 3 minutes with an electric whisk.
- Beat in the egg white, then mix in the flour until just combined. The dough should be soft enough to pipe.
- Spoon the dough into a strong piping bag with a large open star nozzle, or into a cookie press.
- Pipe small wreaths, swirls, stars and fingers onto the trays, about 1 inch apart. If the dough is hard to pipe, let it warm up a little or squeeze with two hands.
- Chill the trays for 10 minutes so the cookies keep their pretty ridges in the oven.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden at the edges. Cool completely on a rack.
- Melt the chocolate, dip one half of each cookie in it, and lay them on parchment paper. Add sprinkles before the chocolate sets.
Questions
My dough is too stiff to pipe. What can I do?
The butter was probably too cold. Leave the dough for 10 minutes in a warm kitchen, or knead in a teaspoon of milk. Piping bags made of thick plastic or cloth are easier than thin ones.
How long do they keep?
In an airtight container, about 2 weeks.
Can I make them without egg?
Yes, use 2 tbsp milk instead of the egg white.
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