Glazed Christmas Spritz Cookies

Iced Christmas Spritz Cookies are bit-sized cookies that take a bit of time and patience–because the recipe makes so many of them–but they are delicious and so very cute! These cookies are a nice break from traditional, spicy gingerbread or those deliciously decadent desserts that usually top the Christmas list.

The special equipment you’ll need to make these cookies is a cookie press. I pulled out my trusty Wilton cookie press that I was gifted for Christmas one year. It works wonderfully–especially for those of us who are drawn to gadgets.

Using a cookie press is a lot of fun for the kids to try out too. Beats rolling out dough (that usually ends up sticking to the board!) to make cookie cut outs any day! If time is short and there is just too much cookie dough to use up at once, freeze the extra cookie dough for a future baking project.

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Glazed Christmas Spritz Cookies

Course

Dessert

Cuisine

American

Servings

dozen

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup + 4 tablespoons butter) at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

For the glaze:

• 1 cup confectioner's sugar (or more)
• 1 tablespoon milk (other options: orange juice or lemon juice)
• green food coloring, or other colors, as desired (optional)
• colored decorative sugar

Course Dessert Cuisine American Servings dozen Ingredients For the cookies: 1 cup sugar 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup + 4 tablespoons butter) at room temperature 1 large egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 2 tablespoons milk 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder For the glaze: 1 cup confectioner's sugar (or more) 1 tablespoon milk (other options: orange juice or lemon juice) green food coloring, or other colors, as desired (optional) colored decorative sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375⁰F. Fit dough press with a Christmas-themed cookie disc.

Make the cookies:

1. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in egg, vanilla, almond extract, and milk.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour and baking powder. Gradually mix flour into butter mixture. Mix only enough until the dough appears smooth.
4. Shape dough into logs that fit into the dough press. Press cookie dough onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. [Follow manufacturer’s instructions.]
5. If you don’t have a cookie press, form little balls of dough with your hands and place on the cookie sheet. Lightly flatten with the bottom of a glass or with your hand until it is about a ¼ inch thick. With the tines of a fork, lightly press flat onto cookie to make ridges as decoration.
6. Bake 6 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness, or until lightly browned around the edges. Remove cookies from cookie sheet and let cool completely on a rack.

Make the glaze:

1. After cookies have cooled, prepare glaze by mixing confectioner’s sugar with milk (or orange or lemon juice) until smooth.
2. If using food coloring, mix color into sugar mixture until glaze is uniform. Start with 3 drops if using liquid food coloring and add more until desired intensity is reached.
3. Brush glaze onto each cookie and immediately sprinkle with decorative sugar. Let cookies sit either at room temperature or in the refrigerator until the glaze hardens --about 1 hour.

Recipe Notes

If you are short on time, making these cookies without the glaze also will get a good reception.  Click here for the recipe:  Christmas Spritz Cookies

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