Description
Delightfully buttery and tender Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies flavored with a hint of orange zest and vanilla, perfect for decorating with colored sugars and sprinkles. These classic cookies are easy to make using a cookie press or a pastry bag, delivering beautiful shapes and a melt-in-your-mouth texture ideal for festive occasions or everyday treats.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 8 ounces unsalted butter softened (2 sticks)
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
Decorations
- Colored sugars
- Sprinkles
- Gel food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Cream Butter, Cream Cheese, and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar at medium speed until smooth and well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
- Add Flavorings and Egg Yolk: Add the egg yolk, orange zest, vanilla extract, and kosher salt to the bowl. Mix on medium speed for another minute. Scrape down the sides again to incorporate all ingredients thoroughly.
- Incorporate Flour: Add half of the all-purpose flour to the mixture and mix slowly to avoid flour dust. Then add the remaining flour and mix until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix to keep the dough tender.
- Add Color (Optional): If desired, divide the dough into bowls and add gel food coloring to each for different colors. Mix gently until the color is evenly distributed.
- Pipe Cookies: Using a cookie press with your selected shapes or a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, pipe the dough onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Leave at least 1 inch between cookies to allow for spreading. Decorate the tops with colored sugars or sprinkles as desired.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 12 minutes or until the edges are set but the cookies have not begun to brown.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely to avoid breakage.
Notes
- Ensure butter and cream cheese are softened to room temperature for easier mixing and a smoother dough.
- Do not overmix the dough after adding flour to prevent tough cookies.
- If you do not have a cookie press, a pastry bag with a large star tip works well to shape the cookies.
- Letting the sheet pans cool completely before piping the next batch helps prevent excessive spreading.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness for up to a week.
- You can customize the flavor by substituting orange zest with lemon zest or almond extract.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
