Spritz, she called them, and little did I know that this was far more than a pet name she had for the cookie.

Spritz Cookies: A Timeless Classic

Flash forward 20 years, and here I am, looking to make these cookies again. I asked mum for her recipe and she gave it to me, and I then began researching this cookie. Wow! I had no idea spritz was one of the most popular cookies in all Cookiedom, made in thousands of variations of shape, ingredient and garnish. I was blown away, but I needed to make mum’s version, which is a very simple butter cookie with a little vanilla added, topped with red or green colored sugar or a piece of walnut. Only thing was, mum warned, I’d need a cookie press.

Huh. I remember hers, a brass thing that looked like a fancy caulking gun. I reckoned I could do the same with a piping bag and a star tip. Wrong. Epic fail. So we went out and bought a cookie press, and then found out that using one requires practice and skill. After much fiddling, I learned to make decent enough cookies, but I’m certainly no expert. So here it is: My mum’s spritz recipe. Simple, archaic—no mixer needed, just use your hands—but light, rich and full of memories. Surely there must be some of you out there who make spritz, right? How are yours different?

Chocolate Crinkles Walnut Snowball Cookies Thumbprint Cookies Gingerbread Men Cookies Holiday Pinwheel Cookies

Here’s all of our Christmas Cookies—in case you want even more ideas!

2 cups all-purpose flour or cake flour 1/2 cup white granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 large egg 1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into small cubes

Optional Garnishes:

Colored sugar Sprinkles Pieces of nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, etc) Frosting Maraschino cherries Powdered sugar

Crack the egg into the center of the bowl and then dot the flour mixture with the pieces of butter. Mix everything together with your clean hands until you get a dough. Try not to knead it too much, as you will then make tough cookies. You just want everything to come together cohesively. Just return the not-so-good ones back to the dough ball and run it through again. Some people like larger cookies that require 2-3 cranks, others just one; this makes a dainty cookie. My mum sometimes twisted her wrist a little when making these to get a swirly pattern going on.