Description
Delight in the festive spirit with these Spritz Butter Christmas Cookies, perfectly tender and buttery with a subtle vanilla flavor and a charming pale green hue. Easy to make using a cookie press, these classic holiday treats are adorned with colorful sprinkles or sugar for a joyful finish.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Green food coloring (liquid or gel), about 4 drops gel recommended
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Decoration
- Sprinkles or colored sugar, for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) to ensure it’s ready when your cookies are shaped.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until the mixture is fluffy and light, which incorporates air and gives the cookies a tender texture.
- Add Egg, Vanilla, and Coloring: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined. Gradually add green food coloring drop by drop, blending with the mixer until you achieve your preferred hue, aiming for a pleasant pale green.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Stir in the all-purpose flour and kosher salt with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated and the dough comes together.
- Shape Cookies: Load the dough into a cookie press fitted with a festive disk shape (such as wreaths or trees). Press cookie shapes onto an ungreased cookie sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart. Avoid parchment or greasing so the cookie press works effectively. Optionally, decorate the tops with sprinkles or colored sugar immediately after pressing.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn a light golden color. Be careful not to overbake to maintain a tender chew.
- Cool and Store: Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them fresh and crisp.
Notes
- Gel food coloring requires fewer drops and gives more vibrant color compared to liquid; approx. 4 drops gel achieve a soft green.
- Do not grease or line your baking sheet to allow the cookie press shapes to release properly.
- For best texture, use room temperature butter to ensure even creaming with sugar.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness for up to one week.
- These cookies can be customized with any cookie press disk shapes for different holiday themes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (approximate, based on 48 cookies per batch)
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 35mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Fiber: 0.2g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
