When it comes to baking Christmas cookies, many people make plans in advance on what to bake. It’s no different here. Sometimes you need a batch of cookies a bit more spontaneously… maybe because most of them have already been eaten, or you have a surprise visitor coming. These simple Spritz Cookies aka. German Spritzgebäck are perfect for such occasions. The preparation of these cookies is super easy and the result is really delicious! All we want for Christmas, right?! ;P
There are countless cookie recipes you can bake for Christmas. We have a selection we make each year, not always the same cookies and not always the same amount… but enough to feed the family for some time. ;P Since I am writing this blog, I tend to bake Christmas cookies a bit earlier than usual – often in August and September already. The light is so much better than in December and if you want to take pictures of your cookies, you need that light. ;P
For this reason, it can sometimes happen that there aren’t enough cookies ready when an unexpected visitor drops by the weeks before Christmas. I could go to a supermarket and get some ready-made Christmas cookies, but that would probably not go down too well with my guests. Unfortunately, they all expect something homemade. Weird, right?! I guess you have to live up to your reputation. ;P
Anyway. These spritz cookies are perfect in a situation like that. I always have the ingredients at home for these cookies – and so will you, probably. The dough is quickly prepared, it doesn’t have to chill for hours, and the cookies are baked and decorated in no time at all. The perfect last-minute cookies, in my opinion.
If you don’t give a fig about baking cookies spontaneously, because you are one of those organized persons that plan their Christmas cookie baking sessions, these spritz cookies might still be a good option for you. It’s the perfect recipe to use leftover egg yolks. I always plan my Christmas cookies according to the eggs needed for the recipes. If you got one recipe with egg whites only, you need another recipe with egg yolks only… makes sense, right?! ;P
Fortunately, we have a dog that is very happy with leftover egg whites or yolks… just in case we are not in the mood for another baking session. So either way – no food waste in this kitchen! ;P
Normally I would use regular butter for my Christmas cookie recipes – here it’s better to use soft margarine or something similar. You want a soft dough that is easy to work with. The tougher the dough gets, the higher the risk of an explosion. And by explosion I mean the breaking of the piping bag you need to get the cookies into shape. That can get very messy very easily if your dough is too stiff.
Another advantage of margarine, at least with the current inflation, is the relatively low price compared to regular butter. At least here in Germany. Even the good organic margarine is cheaper than normal butter at the moment. ;P
Anyway. If this spritz cookies are your first Christmas cookies of the season, you will end up with leftover egg whites… unless you planned accordingly. ;P If you have not, I got some recipes you can make along with the spritz cookies to use those egg whites. Classic Macarons, like my Chocolate Macarons with Hazelnut Praline Cream, are the perfect candidates here. Although that recipe also needs egg yolks for the filling…. hm.
Well. Recipes that only require egg whites and no egg yolks at all would be my Chocolate Amarettini Cookies or my Easy Almond Marzipan Logs. They are both a quick to make and an easy way to use leftover egg whites without wasting anything!
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(about 40 cookies)
For the dough:
8.8 oz. (250g) plant-based margarine
1 1/4 cups (250g) sugar
3 medium egg yolks
2 tsp. vanilla extract
17.6 oz. (500g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. zest of organic lemon (optional)
1 pinch of salt
2 tbsp. milk
For the decoration:
about 4.3 oz. (120g) chocolate glaze
4-5 tbsp. chopped nuts
(etwa 40 Plätzchen)
Für den Teig:
250g Margarine
250g Zucker (fein)
3 Eigelb (M)
2 TL Vanille Extrakt
500g Mehl (Type 405)
2 TL Backpulver
1 TL Abrieb von Bio-Zitrone (optional)
1 Prise Salz
2 EL Milch
Für die Dekoration:
etwa 120g Schokoladenglasur
4-5 EL gehackte Nüsse
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) fan-forced. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment and set aside.
2. Add the margarine and sugar to a large bowl and mix on high until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Mix flour, baking powder, lemon zest (optional), and salt and add in two batches with 1 tbsp. of milk each time, and fold in/knead. The dough will be quite soft.
3. Fill small portions of dough into a piping bag with a star tip – smaller portions are easier to work with. Pipe rings or other shapes onto the baking sheet with some space in between. Bake the cookies for about 11-12 minutes. The cookies should only get a hint of color. Take the cookies out of the oven and let them cool down on the baking sheet for some time, then transfer to a wire rack and let them cool down completely. Repeat the process with leftover dough.
4. Warm the chocolate glaze according to the package instructions – either in some hot water on the stove or in the microwave. Brush the cookies on one side with the glaze and sprinkle some nuts on top. Let the glaze harden before storing the cookies in a tin cookie box.
1. Den Ofen auf 160°C (320°F) Umluft vorheizen. Zwei Bleche mit Backpapier auslegen und zur Seite stellen.
2. Margarine und Zucker in eine große Schüssel geben und auf höchster Stufe hell und luftig aufschlagen. Eigelbe und Vanille Extrakt dazugeben und gut unterrühren. Das Mehl mit Backpulver, Zitronenschale (optional) und Salz vermischen und dann in zwei Portionen mit jeweils 1 EL Milch zur Schüssel dazugeben und unterheben/kneten. Der Teig sollte recht weich sein.
3. Den Teig portionsweise in einen Spritzbeutel mit Sterntülle füllen – kleinere Portionen lassen sich einfacher verarbeiten. Nach Belieben Ringe oder andere Formen mit etwas Abstand zueinander auf das Backblech aufspritzen. Das Spritzgebäck für etwa 11-12 Minuten backen – der Teig sollte nur minimal Farbe bekommen haben. Die Bleche aus dem Ofen holen und das Spritzgebäck kurze Zeit auf dem Blech abkühlen lassen, dann auf ein Kuchengitter setzen und komplett auskühlen lassen. Das ganze Prozedere mit dem verbliebenem Teig wiederholen.
4. Die Schokoladenglasur nach Packungsanleitung im Wasserbad oder der Mikrowelle erwärmen und dann das abgekühlte Spritzgebäck an einer Seite mit der Glasur bestreichen und mit gehackten Nüssen bestreuen. Die Glasur vor der Lagerung des Spritzgebäcks in einer Keksdose fest werden lassen.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Spritz Cookies for Christmas aka. German Spritzgebäck
- Prep Time: 00:30
- Cook Time: 00:12
- Total Time: 02:00
- Yield: 40 1x
- Category: Christmas Cookies
- Cuisine: Germany
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These classic Spritz Cookies aka. German Spritzgebäck are the perfect Christmas cookies if you are in a hurry. Easy to do and super delicious!
Ingredients
For the dough:
8.8 oz. (250g) plant-based margarine
1 1/4 cups (250g) sugar
3 medium egg yolks
2 tsp. vanilla extract
17.6 oz. (500g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. zest of organic lemon (optional)
1 pinch of salt
2 tbsp. milk
For the decoration:
about 4.3 oz. (120g) chocolate glaze
4-5 tbsp. chopped nuts
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) fan-forced. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment and set aside.
2. Add the margarine and sugar to a large bowl and mix on high until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Mix flour, baking powder, lemon zest (optional), and salt and add in two batches with 1 tbsp. of milk each time, and fold in/knead. The dough will be quite soft.
3. Fill small portions of dough into a piping bag with a star tip – smaller portions are easier to work with. Pipe rings or other shapes onto the baking sheet with some space in between. Bake the cookies for about 11-12 minutes. The cookies should only get a hint of color. Take the cookies out of the oven and let them cool down on the baking sheet for some time, then transfer to a wire rack and let them cool down completely. Repeat the process with leftover dough.
4. Warm the chocolate glaze according to the package instructions – either in some hot water on the stove or in the microwave. Brush the cookies on one side with the glaze and sprinkle some nuts on top. Let the glaze harden before storing the cookies in a tin cookie box.
Notes
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