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Delicate butter cookies pressed into festive shapes, carrying the traditions of Scandinavian grandmothers who settled the frozen prairies and warmed their kitchens with these tender, almond-scented treasures every December.
The Scandinavian immigrants who settled Minnesota's harsh prairies in the 1880s brought precious little with them. But they brought their cookie presses. Those heavy metal cylinders, often passed from mother to daughter across generations, produced the spritz cookies that anchored every Jul celebration from Duluth to the Dakotas.
The name comes from the German 'spritzen,' meaning to squirt or spray. The Swedes call them spritsar, the Norwegians sprøtebakels. Whatever the language, the technique remains unchanged: rich butter dough forced through decorative disks into wreaths, trees, stars, and those distinctive S-curves that identify a proper Scandinavian Christmas spread.
What makes these cookies remarkable is their texture. They shatter at first bite, then dissolve on your tongue, releasing waves of butter and almond. This demands proper technique. The butter must be soft but not greasy. The dough must be pliable but not warm. Get these right and your cookies will hold their shapes through baking and emerge with crisp edges and tender centers.
I learned this recipe from a Lutheran church cookbook in Minneapolis, handwritten by women whose grandmothers had crossed the Atlantic. They understood something essential: these cookies are not about decoration. They're about butter, handled with respect.
Quantity
1 cup (2 sticks)
softened
Quantity
3/4 cup
Quantity
1
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
Quantity
2 1/4 cups
Quantity
for decorating
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| unsalted buttersoftened | 1 cup (2 sticks) |
| granulated sugar | 3/4 cup |
| large egg yolk | 1 |
| pure almond extract | 1 teaspoon |
| pure vanilla extract | 1/2 teaspoon |
| fine sea salt | 1/4 teaspoon |
| all-purpose flour | 2 1/4 cups |
| colored sugar or sprinkles (optional) | for decorating |
Set butter on the counter 45 minutes to 1 hour before mixing. The ideal temperature is 65-68°F. Press the butter with your finger: it should yield easily but not feel greasy or slick. If it's too cold, the dough won't press smoothly. Too warm, and your shapes will spread into sad puddles. This single factor determines success more than any other.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add sugar and beat on medium-high for 3 full minutes until the mixture is pale, fluffy, and noticeably lighter in color. Scrape down the bowl twice during this process. This aeration creates the tender texture that defines a proper spritz.
Add the egg yolk, almond extract, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on medium until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. The mixture should look smooth and cohesive. Scrape the bowl again.
Add flour all at once. Mix on low speed just until the dough comes together and no dry streaks remain, about 45 seconds. Stop the moment it forms a cohesive mass. Overworking develops gluten, which makes tough cookies. The dough should be smooth, pliable, and slightly tacky but not sticky.
Pinch off a small piece of dough and squeeze it. It should hold together without crumbling and feel like soft clay. If it's too stiff, work in up to 1 tablespoon of softened butter. If it's too soft or greasy, refrigerate for 15 minutes. The dough must flow through the press smoothly while holding its shape on the baking sheet.
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven. Heat to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Do not grease them. The slight texture of parchment helps the dough grip during pressing. Slick surfaces cause cookies to pull away from the press unevenly.
Select your disk and secure it in the press according to manufacturer directions. Pack dough firmly into the cylinder, pushing out any air pockets. Air gaps cause sputtering and incomplete shapes. Fill the press no more than three-quarters full to maintain steady pressure.
Hold the press perpendicular to the baking sheet with the disk flat against the parchment. Press the trigger or turn the handle until dough emerges and touches the paper, then lift straight up with a quick motion. The cookie should release cleanly, holding its shape. Space cookies 1 inch apart. They spread minimally.
If using colored sugar, sprinkles, or dragées, apply them now while the dough is tacky enough to hold them. Press decorations gently into the surface. Work quickly before the dough develops a skin.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are set and the edges show the faintest hint of gold. The centers should look matte, not shiny. These cookies firm as they cool; overbaking makes them hard rather than tender. Watch carefully after 7 minutes. The window between perfect and overdone is narrow.
Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. They're fragile when warm. Cool completely before storing, at least 30 minutes. The texture continues developing as they reach room temperature, achieving that characteristic shatter.
1 serving (about 15g)
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