Spritz cookies are cookies that require a cookie press to make them, because they are “spritzed” (“squirted”) out through a cookie press.
When baked, they always come out as flat cookies.
In North America, they are ubiquitous at Christmas, and are pressed out by the bazillions every year as the season approaches. The tradition comes from Scandinavia and Germanic countries.
The dough is usually quite simple: just butter and sugar creamed together, eggs, flour and a bit of vanilla extract. Most recipes contain little or no leavening. After mixing the ingredients, you should be able to form balls of dough that are just a bit crumbly on the edges.
The hardest part is getting the dough to leave the gun. Even old hands at it have to squeeze out 3 or 4 each year before they get their rhythm back. See entry on Cookie Pistol for tips.
The cookies are often decorated with half a candied cherry before baking.
They need even heat while baking, and usually only need 11 minutes or so in the oven. You cook them until they are golden, not brown.
Storage Hints
The raw dough won’t freeze well.
Store in a sealed container for up to a few days, or freeze.
Not good cookies to mail, as they are fragile.
Language Notes
“Spritz” comes from the German word “spritzen”, which means “to squirt”