Christmas holidays require the traditional Spritz Cookies. Without these delicious buttery treats, the Jul is not so gud - it’s just another occasion.  (I admit, I’m happy to eat Spritz any time of the year)

“Spritz” comes from the German “spritzen” which means “to squirt” describing the process of squirting the soft dough through a cookie press. Most cookies presses come equipped with several discs. I think I’ve only used one - the “star” shape - to form my ribbed spritz cookies either in the wreath form shown here or an “S” - which I have no idea why Mom decided on an “S” unless it was for Santa or, maybe, Spritz. Regardless of the shape, Christmas Spritz Cookies are a treat on your holiday dessert table, or with your morning Fika or a bedtime snack. So get busy, get spritzen!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter softened

2/3 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 cup flour

Optional: small slice of red and green maraschino cherries to decorate

Directions: Preheat oven to 350F

1. Cream butter and add sugar beating together.

2. Add in egg yolks and beat for smooth mixture.

3. Add vanilla and almond extracts

4. Slowly add flour.

5. Spoon dough into a cookie press and “squirt” cookies in wreath, tree, star or other holiday shapes available with the press. We always made a wreath or an “S”. Use a lightly greased cookie sheet to avoid breakage when you remove the cookies.

6. Add a small slice of maraschino cherry to each cookie (red or green) for holiday color.

7. Bake at 350ºF. About 8-10 mins until edges begin to turn lite brown. Watch carefully as these delicate butter cookies will burn quickly and ovens vary with temperature.

8. Gently remove cookies from the cookie sheet while they are still warm or they will break. If cookies have cooled, return the sheet to the oven for 30 seconds and they will be less likely to break.

Yield:

5 Dozen Cookies

Time:

Prep: 20-30 Minutes
Cooking: 8-10 Minutes per Tray

Difficulty: