Spritz Cookies

Oh, Spritz Cookies, how I’ve come to both loathe and love you. You’re a staple holiday cookie, which obviously means that most people don’t have all the problems I have with you. But for me, you’re nothing but drama. Last year it was the broken cookie press that made me want to tear my hair out. This year, you just wouldn’t part with the pan. But alas, Spritz Cookie. I’ve finally bested you, and I couldn’t be more thrilled about it. Because you’re actually pretty delicious!

After last year’s broken plastic disaster, I’d resolved to buy an old-fashioned metal cookie press on Ebay or somewhere this year, but never actually got around to it. But on a recent trip through Williams-Sonoma, I found a nice looking set by Kuhn Rikon with METAL disks instead of plastic. Sold! I was ready to give Spritz Cookies another shot.

I found a good recipe and loaded up my press and started pressing out my cookies on my ungreased, no parchment paper cookie sheets like the instructions said. It took me a little bit to get the hang of it, but once I figured out how to get them to stick and press out, I was a pressing machine! I had 2 trays full of cookies before I knew it! They baked up perfectly and I was so excited! Finally! Spritz Cookies and a press that worked!

Kind of. I let them cool on the tray for a few minutes (probably my fatal mistake), and when I went to put them on the cooling rack, they wouldn’t come off. Like at all. More than half my cookies ended up in a pile of broken shards. Talk about disappointment. I knew it wasn’t the fault of the recipe (cause they were still dang delicious) or the cookie press. It was something between the process of pressing, baking, and cooling that things went wrong.

I tried a different approach with the next round. I used room temperature dough instead of cold dough, since the warmer dough tended to press out and hold together better. But the warm dough stuck a whole lot more than cold dough did to the pan. So I lined the pan with parchment paper to keep it from sticking after baking. But because of its non-stick properties, the dough wouldn’t release from the press onto the parchment either! Finally I decided to press it onto a separate non-stick surface (the lid of a plastic container), and transfer it over to the parchment to bake. A little more involved than just pressing it straight onto the cookie sheet, but it worked like a charm! Not one single stuck or broken cookie!

And the cookies themselves are delicious. The cream cheese keeps them so soft and tender! I ate literally handfuls at a time they were so good! These will definitely make the cut again next year for my cookie packages. And the cookie press is definitely a keeper. Not one single problem with it at all! Yay!

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Spritz Cookies
Adapted from Sugarcrafter
Makes about 5 dozen cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
Sanding sugar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add cream cheese and beat until combined. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Gradually add flour, beating until just combined. (Dough should be soft, but easily moldable without being overly sticky. If it’s too sticky, chill in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to make it easier to handle. But you don’t want it too cold, or it’s hard to press.)
3. Load dough into cookie press and press out onto an ungreased surface (I used the lid of a plastic container). Gently peel the shape up from the surface and transfer to prepared baking sheets. Add sanding sugar for decoration, if using.
4. Bake 10-12 minutes or until the edges just start to brown. Remove from oven and transfer on parchment to a wire rack to cool completely.