We’re well into my favorite season: the month of holiday baking. Whether it’s the colorful frostings, the parties, or the snowfall we’ve been having in Brooklyn, December always fills my kitchen with flour and cheer. This year I’ve churned out batches of ginger-molasses chocolate chip cookies, my aunt’s lemon sugar cookies with almond icing, and an afternoon of wrapping tiny caramel squares after finally figuring out the caramel technique.
But the highlight of December for me is spritz cookies. They are part nostalgia—my Chicago grandmother made them every holiday—part sprinkles (because sprinkles make everything better) and entirely festive and delightful.
Spritz are fundamentally simple butter cookies: butter, sugar, egg, and flour. My grandmother added cream cheese for a subtle tang, and I kept that tradition. From there the possibilities multiply: a pinch of salt, a splash of vanilla or anise (or both), divide the dough to add colors, press shapes, and then cover them with sprinkles.
I admit I go overboard with sprinkles—it’s the same pull I feel when standing at a buffet. I tell myself I’ll be restrained, then excitement pulls me in every direction until my plate is a random, delicious mess. Spritz-making brings out that same gleeful indulgence.
The short video shows why I favor tiny sugar bits—the more the merrier. Cookie presses can seem intimidating with their many parts, but once you learn one, it becomes a faithful tool. My press is a vintage Marcato I found on Etsy for a steal, and even though I only use it yearly, I always rediscover how it fits my hands. And yes, I do keep my sprinkles close at hand—sometimes literally in my closet.
I want to thank Mackenzie Smith for filming and editing this little holiday piece and for spending time in my small kitchen eating cookies with me. Thanks also to Josephine Floyd for being an excellent helper and an even better sprinkles hand model.
Happy spritz-making! Wishing you a holiday filled with cookies, cheer, and maybe a little bourbon. See you next year.
Cream Cheese Spritz
Makes about 4 dozen small cookies
2 sticks (1 cup or 226 grams) butter, softened
4 ounces (about 1/2 cup or 100 grams) cream cheese, softened
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (or 1/2 teaspoon anise extract)
2 1/2 cups (312 grams) flour
Food coloring, sprinkles, and colored sanding sugars for decorating
Beat together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, salt, nutmeg, and almond or anise extract and mix until incorporated.
Mix in the flour and beat just until mostly combined. If you want colored cookies, divide the dough into portions and add a few drops of food coloring to each, mixing until the color is even. You can also flavor each portion differently by adding extracts with the coloring.
Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for up to several days. Before using, bring the dough to room temperature so it is soft enough to press easily.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. On an ungreased baking sheet (important so the cookies release properly from the press), press out shapes, placing them fairly close together. Decorate with colored sugars and sprinkles.
Bake 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set and the bottoms are lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store at room temperature in a covered container for up to two weeks.