Description
Delightfully tender and buttery Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies featuring a hint of orange zest, perfect for holidays or any special occasion. These cookies are made with a blend of cream cheese and butter for a rich texture and piped into charming shapes, decorated with colorful sugars or sprinkles.
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 cups 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 a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar at medium speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure thorough mixing.
- Add Flavorings: Add the egg yolk, orange zest, vanilla extract, and kosher salt to the bowl. Mix again for one minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl to fully incorporate all ingredients.
- Add Flour: Add half of the all-purpose flour to the bowl and mix on slow speed to avoid flour flying. Add the remaining flour and mix until just combined.
- Color the Dough (Optional): If desired, add gel food coloring to the dough by mixing it directly in the bowl or dividing dough into portions to create multiple colors.
- Pipe Cookies: Use a cookie press with your chosen shapes to pipe the dough onto a sheet pan, leaving at least an inch between cookies to allow for spreading. Decorate with colored sugars or sprinkles as desired. If no cookie press is available, use a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 12 minutes until they are set but not browned. If baking in multiple batches, cool sheet pans completely before piping the next batch to prevent excessive spreading.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking pans for 2 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
- Ensure butter and cream cheese are softened to room temperature for easier mixing and a smooth dough.
- Using a cookie press or pastry bag helps achieve the characteristic spritz cookie shapes.
- Do not overbake; cookies should be set and lightly firm but not browned for the best texture.
- Allowing sheet pans to cool between batches prevents the dough from spreading too much when piping.
- Gel food coloring works best for coloring dough without affecting the texture.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
