Spritzgebäck | German Spritz Cookies without a Press
If you've ever had the nostalgic Christmas cookies that come in a round blue tin, they might have been these delicious Spritzgebäck! These buttery, soft German Spritz cookies are easily made without a fancy cookie press, and they bake in just 10 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (2 sticks)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup milk (at room temperature)
- 2 tablespoon demerara sugar, optional (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until it’s pale yellow and fluffy, after a few minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat again until it’s creamy and fluffy, after another minute.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix with a large spoon until it forms a really soft, crumbly dough.
- Add the milk and gently mix with a spoon until it’s a smooth consistency that you can pipe with.
- Fill a piping bag assembled with an open star tip with the cookie dough. Pipe the dough onto your prepared baking sheets in any shape you like. Traditionally the dough is piped in a tight “S” or figure-8. You can also pipe it in lines, circles, or even letters.Optional: Sprinkle demerara sugar on top of the unbaked cookies.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are golden on the edges. Rotate the baking pans 180 degrees halfway through baking, and switch their positions so the top one is on the bottom and vice versa. Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!!
Notes
- Room Temperature: Make sure your milk and eggs are at room temperature, so they incorporate easily into the dough. Otherwise your dough could split.
- Two Batches: If you only have one baking sheet, you can bake your cookies in two batches. Pipe the cookies onto your baking sheet and store the remaining batter in the fridge while the first batch bakes. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Let the baking sheet cool for another 10 minutes at least, before piping the second batch of cookies into it.
- Piping Nozzle: To make the pretty ridges on the cookies, use an open star tip nozzle with your piping bag.
- Size Matters: If you pipe different shapes, note that smaller cookies will cook faster than larger cookies.
- No Piping Bag: If you don't have a cookie press or a piping bag, fill a large ziplock bag with your cookie dough, cut off the corner with scissors, then use that to pipe your cookie dough. Your cookies will be smoother, without the ridges.
- Don’t overbake: These cookies bake really quickly since they're so thin, so keep an eye on them. Pull them out of the oven once the edges turn golden.
- Storing: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Or store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookieCalories: 137kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 29mgPotassium: 20mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 251IUCalcium: 8mgIron: 1mg
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