Spritz

This is my mom’s grandmother’s recipe for Spritz. I have fantastic memories of my mom whipping out her electric cookie press and having dozens of little tree cookies all over the kitchen. They are buttery goodness at it’s finest. Make sure you beat the egg yolks well…they should be frothy and light-colored. I also sometimes have trouble with these flattening out a little (keepin it real). But I love the flavor so much that I deal with it…and, I’m the fourth generation to make these cookies. I can’t really mess with the recipe. Can I? My general solution is to press the cookies out and then refrigerate them for about a half hour before baking.

 
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 egg yolks, well beaten for 3 minutes
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon almond extract
colored sprinkles/food coloring – if desired

1. Cream butter well. Add powered sugar, extract and eggs. Beat until incorporated.
2. Add food coloring if desired. Add flour and salt and mix until incorporated.
3. Using a cookie press, press cookies out onto ungreased cookie sheets. Decorate as desired.
4. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes.

*Pay close attention to these as they bake. You should not allow them to brown. Keep in mind that the 2nd/3rd batches to go into the oven will probably bake a little faster than the first batch did.