Description
These Spritz Butter Christmas Cookies are classic festive treats made with a rich butter dough, lightly sweetened and flavored with vanilla and a touch of green food coloring for a holiday vibe. Crisp around the edges and tender inside, they are pressed into beautiful shapes using a cookie press and decorated with colorful sprinkles or sugar, perfect for celebrations and sharing.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Green food coloring (liquid or gel), about 4 drops of gel or to desired color
- 2 1/2 cup 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 prepare for baking the cookies.
- Mix butter and sugar: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the room temperature butter and granulated sugar together in a large bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add egg and vanilla: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined, ensuring a smooth batter.
- Add food coloring: Slowly add green food coloring drop by drop, mixing continuously until you achieve a pale green hue. Approximately 4 drops of gel food coloring will give a soft green color.
- Incorporate dry ingredients: Stir the all-purpose flour and kosher salt into the mixture using a wooden spoon until just combined to form a dough.
- Shape the cookies: Fit a cookie press with your choice of decorative disk (wreath, tree, or other). Press the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. The stickiness of the dough helps release shapes from the press. Decorate with sprinkles or colored sugar if desired.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes or until the cookie edges are lightly golden at the bottom, indicating they are done.
- Cool and store: Transfer cookies to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Do not grease the cookie sheet or use parchment paper; the dough’s stickiness helps release the shapes cleanly.
- Adjust the green food coloring gradually to avoid overly dark or unappetizing colors.
- Sprinkles or colored sugar add a festive touch but are optional.
- Allow cookies to cool fully before storing to prevent moisture buildup and sogginess.
- This recipe yields about 4 dozen cookies depending on the size of your cookie press shapes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (estimated)
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 40mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 9g
- Fiber: 0.2g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
