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For me, baking cookies during this season is about seeing a smile on my little ones faces. Capturing their joy, their laughter as together, we make messes in flour and sprinkles. Our cookies are about fun and making sweet memories that will be remembered and cherished.
Our favorite cookies that we make year after year are Spanish polvorones. We also enjoy to make a double batch of soft sugar cookies sweetened with honey – a recipe you can find in my eBook, Nourishing Cookies for a Healthy Holiday. There’s also such fun in making naturally sweetened gingerbread for cookies or houses and just this year, the kids and I dived into spritz cookies – quite unintentionally, actually.
As my kids and I started to pull out all of our baking supplies for the season of cookies, Big Brother found my cookie press. He was quite intrigued by all of the discs with the different shapes cut into each. On a separate piece of paper it showed the finished cookies and what they would look like once baked. He fell in love with the cookie press especially that it’s shaped as a gun with a long protruding handle. “Mama, we’ve got to make these!” He kept insisting, again and again.
I’ve got to be honest, I’m not a fan of baking spritz cookies. I love eating them, when someone else has baked them. For me, I’ve always had so much trouble pressing them onto a cookie sheet and having them hold their form. I’ve wasted a lot of batter in the past trying to get them to come out of the danged press in one piece.
I was harboring this fear while staring at my star gazed son wanting to make some Christmas tree shaped cookies. “Ok.” I told him. “But first we’re going to have to do some research on how to beat the cookie press!” “Are you all with me?” I cried out.
“Yes!” All three of my children shouted back.
Honey Sweetened, Einkorn Spritz Cookies
After a lot of research on the internet, the kids and I were able to successfully bake spritz cookies that held their shape.
First of all, I want to thank Mighty Nest for sending me great cookie baking supplies that I found extremely helpful, especially their stainless steel jelly roll pan by Lindy’s. All in all, they sent me the baking sheet by Lindy’s, natural food coloring and sprinkles by Maggie’s Naturals, Kilner glass storage jars, and a great cookie spatula.
I can’t express enough how important it is to have a good quality baking pan to bake your cookies on. With these spritz cookies, they held their shape much better on the Lindy’s pan than my regular baking sheet that I usually use.
With a good quality baking sheet, the tips that I found most useful to baking spritz cookies were …
- making sure the pan was buttered and then refrigerated for at least 15 minutes before pressing the cookies onto them and
- if the cookie dough would not stick to the pan, chill the dough for about 5 minutes and then try again.
Making sure to do those two things made pressing the cookies much easier.
So, after making our batter, we divided it into three and colored one third of the batter red, one third green, and left the other third white.
Again, thanks to Mighty Nest we were able to use all natural food coloring from Maggie’s Naturals that we felt great about using!
Once the cookie batter was made and colored, we loaded each color separately into the press. The kids took turns deciding which disc to use.
We were thrilled that we were able to get shapes out of the press to stick to the baking sheet right away. We didn’t run into too many problems. If it didn’t stick very well, we would return the batter to the fridge and chill it for a few minutes before trying again.
Once pressed, the kids had fun making their messes in sprinkles with Maggie’s Naturals.
After that, they just needed to be baked for 12 minutes or so at 350F. I’m glad Big Brother found the cookie press as together we conquered it and made another sweet memory we’ll remember for a long time to come.
Honey Sweetened, Einkorn Spritz Cookies. Sweet little Christmas cookies to make at home with your children.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup cream cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2 cups einkorn flour, sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Butter two baking sheets and place them in the refrigerator to chill while you make the batter.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter, honey, and cream cheese over medium speed until fluffy; 2-3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract and mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the flour and salt and mix until the batter has come together.
- Once the cookie batter has come together, feel free to divide and color with natural food coloring, if you'd like.
- Scrape some of the dough into your cookie press that has been fitted with a decorative disc (follow manufacturer's instructions). Place the cookie press onto the baking sheet, and press out the cookies. If the dough is too soft, because the shape of the cookies is not clearly defined or sticking to the press, chill the dough for 5 minutes. Continue to press out the cookiesand then decorate with sprinkles, sugars, nuts, or shredded coconut.
- Bake at 350F for 11-14 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are barely tinged with brown. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
A Mighty Nest Giveaway!
Thanks to Mighty Nest you can win your own bundle of cookie supplies for Christmas baking! Just enter below!!
Thanks for a chance to win! I love to bake, yet I also have a hard time with spritz cookies. Thank you for these hints.
This would be like a dream. Your cookies are delectable and beautiful. What a delightful giveaway. I would add a little cinnamon and that would be all. My grandmother many years ago would make the most delicious and special jelly rolls filled with tasty and unforgettable fillings. Happy Holidays! Wishing you much happiness and enjoyment,
My grandmother used to make them, but I never have…
So excited to try new recipes and start new traditions!! And of course a chance to win!!!
Well, I’m automatically a fan of Maggie’s, since that’s my name! Besides they look like amazing products that fit our lifestyle. I love making homemade cookies, and have been baking up a storm this holiday season! Thanks for a great post and chance to win!
I love cookies that remind of those days in the kitchen with mom. Oh to have those days back again!
I’ve never made spritzer cookies before, but it would be a great new tradition to do with my girls.
Spritz are my favorite cookie to make! I’ve found that making sure the cookie sheet needs to be cool before pressing the cookies on it. Chilling the dough slightly can help if it mooshes out of the cookie press. I need to buy some eincorn flour and try this recipe as were (slowly) headed towards doing GAPS and decreasing our sugar and starch intake. Looks delicious!
I would love to have some dye-free coloring!
I’ve made Spritz for years, but have never liked using the white sugar, excited to try it with the honey and the cream cheese is a new as well!
I’ve never made spritz cookies – but I enjoy them! I may have to give this a try this year!!
I make spritz cookies every year but would love to try them with E.inkorn flour
I love these for kids. I find it is important to chill them well and cook them longer and lower.
I’m looking forward to trying this cookie recipe.
Can’t wait to try this recipe. I’ve many many dozen Spritz cookies with regular flour. Living in Florida, always have to chill the dough but a fast easy cook to make. I have my Mom’s cookie press and brings back many happy memories!
I’m inspired to make press cookies again!
I love spritz cookies. And I love the fact you use all natural sprinkles! I’ve been looking for them – so thanks for the tip for Maggie’s Naturals.
Lovely, I am just learning about natural foo colors
Does anyone know if regular, fresh ground pastry flour can be used for einkorn? (for those who are not gluten-challenged). Spritz cookies are my favorite, but I try to avoid the processed sugar.
Looking forward to making some of these cookies with my grandchildren. Thank you🎄
No problem!