We’re back at it today with more holiday cookies- today it’s some of my absolute favorites! I’m sharing my recipe for Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies, and they’re ready to go for high-altitude.
If you’ve got a cookie press, these cookies work perfectly for it. I’ve got all the tips and tricks here to help you use your cookie press, and to help you end up with the best high-altitude spritz cookies. Let’s get to it!
How to Make High-Altitude Spritz Cookies
The dough for these cookies comes together really easily, and it uses super simple ingredients. These are cream cheese spritz cookies, so they use a combination of butter and cream cheese. Then we’re adding in some vanilla extract, sugar, flour, and salt. Be sure to scrape down your bowl a few times during the mixing process so everything is well combined!
You should end up with a thick but soft dough. I like to grab small sections and roll them into a log that fits inside of the cookie press to fill the press as tightly as possible. Don’t worry if you have a few gaps in the cookie press- it will all press together as you start pressing out cookies.
Then we’re just using the cookie press on an unlined baking sheet to stamp out the cookies. They won’t spread while they bake, so you can put them right next to each other on the pans. Here’s what they should look like:
Before we bake these, it’s time to sprinkle on whatever decorations you’d like. I went for a combo of colored sanding sugars, sprinkles, and colored regular granulated sugar. You can really use any kind of sprinkles here, and then it’s off to the oven.
These cookies bake low and slow to help them stay light and just barely crisp. They come out as these pretty little treats that really make it feel like the holidays! I hope you guys love these ones!
Tips & Tricks for the Best Spritz Cookies
These cookies are super simple, but working with a cookie press can take some getting used to. Here are my tips and tricks to help out!
- Be sure to scrape your bowl several times to ensure that your dough is thoroughly mixed through. If it’s not mixed well, you’ll end up with cookies that bake unevenly.
- Why do I need to use unlined baking sheets? If you use parchment paper or a silpat, your cookie dough won’t stick to it when you’re pressing it out. It’s important to work with unlined, clean, dry metal baking sheets for these cookies!
- Why do these spritz cookies use cream cheese? The cream cheese contributes to a slightly tangy and very tender end result for your cookies. I love the flavor, and the texture is perfect!
- My cookies won’t stick to the pan and pull away from the press, what should I do? I usually find that you may need to click your press twice for the first cookie to help it properly press and stick. After the first cookie sticks, the dough should work well for you until you switch the stamp pattern. Also, be sure your baking sheets are unlined, clean, dry, and not too hot from the previous batch!
- What kind of sprinkles can I use? You can use any sprinkles you like here, but I find that colored sugars and nonpareil sprinkles stick to the cookies the best!
- How do I know when my cookies are finished baking? These cookies should stay pretty blonde even when they’re done baking, but you should see the edges just barely turning golden. The bottoms of the cookies will also be just barely golden brown when they are finished baking.
- I don’t have a cookie press, can I still make these spritz cookies? Yes, you can use a piping bag that is fitted with a large star tip. It can be a bit tough to work with this dough in a piping bag at first, so be sure to use a large star tip to pipe out wreathes or even just lines for your cookies.
- I’m at about 5,000 ft. above sea level, and I find that most people who live between about 3,000- 7,000 ft. above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes.
Enjoy, and happy holiday baking!
High-Altitude Spritz Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup softened butter
- 4 oz softened cream cheese
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup sprinkles colored sugar, etc.
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 300, and use unlined, clean, baking sheets. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add in the sugar and vanilla extract, and beat until well combined. Scrape down your bowl, and then add in the flour and salt and mix until well combined. Scrape down your bowl again to make sure there are no pockets of unmixed dough.
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Load the dough into your cookie press using any pattern you prefer, and press the cookies onto your unlined baking sheets. They don’t spread much so you can put them right next to each other.
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Sprinkle the cookies generously with your colored sugars and sprinkles before baking.
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Bake for 15-18 mins or until just lightly golden brown. Cool completely on the pan before removing and enjoying!
Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!
I’ve made Spritz for 50+ yrs, and have never seen cream cheese in the recipe…if I didn’t add that, what high altitude adjustment would you suggest?
Hi Vikki- it's definitely a twist on the classic to add the cream cheese, but I really love the flavor that it brings to these cookies so I highly recommend the addition! If you don't use the cream cheese, you'll need to compensate with additional butter. As for altitude, I am at 5,000 ft above sea level so all my recipes are developed at high-altitude. I usually find that most people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes. Hope that helps!
Love the cream cheese twist!! Highly recommend. My only adjustment was to bake for a little longer, since my first few batches were too fragile after 18ish minutes.
Loved this recipe! Super easy to follow and the dough was easy to use once I chilled for about 10min—I think this is specific to my cookie press (oxo brand). The spritz cookies were a huge hit at my holiday cookie exchange. Might attempt splitting the vanilla extract with half vanilla/ half peppermint.
So glad you liked the recipe! The peppermint addition sounds great!
Just made tonight. Very easy . I agree the cream cheese adds a tang to the cookie. Hubby is not so partial to cream cheese so I want to try without and add more butter. I was also thinking of adding other flavors like peppermint, lemon, or almond. Change the cookie pattern and topping color. Would be a great choice for a cookie platter.
My old standby spritz cookie was a great keeper, with the flavor improving over weeks in storage. Does this cookie do the same? Btw, thanks for the great resource for high altitude baking.