Today I am sharing another delicious Dutch cookie with you: spritz cookies or butter spritz cookies. They’re one of my favorite cookies here in the Netherlands and quite easy to make, despite appearances.
These butter spritz cookies are a Dutch classic, and they’re easy to make. Plus, you can make all sorts of different designs with the dough.
They are also really easy to customize. Dip them into chocolate, for instance, to create a different flavor, or make different intricate shapes to your heart’s desire.
And if you love Dutch cookies, be sure to check out this round-up of 10 traditional Dutch cookie recipes.
The good news is that these cookies use simple ingredients that you’ll probably already have in your pantry.
A traditional butter spritz cookie recipe is made with what’s called a rubbing dough. This is essentially the same as a creamed butter dough.
Traditionally, this dough is made by hand directly on the countertop. That means rubbing the butter and sugar together with your hands until the mixture becomes very creamy and pale. After that, the remaining ingredients are rubbed in by hand as well.
This rubbing technique makes the dough light and what bakers call “salve-like.” The best way to understand that term is to think of the soft, creamy texture of a cream or ointment from the drugstore: that same soft and smooth texture is what your dough should have. If your dough isn’t soft and creamy, you won’t be able to pipe it.
Nowadays, bakeries use large mixers with paddle attachments to create a rubbing dough. For this recipe, I used my stand mixer at home, which works perfectly.
So yes, you can absolutely make butter spritz cookies with a stand mixer. You want the dough to be smooth and soft enough for piping it onto parchment paper to get that signature texture and shape.
The first, essential, step for making these cookies is to make sure your butter is soft. Not melted, just really soft. If not soft enough, there is no way you will be able to pipe the cookies.
Also make sure you rub or mix the butter long enough. Don’t rush this step, as the mixture should be really pale, soft and creamy.
Once that is the case, add the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a piping tip. Another thing to make sure is that you use strong pastry bags. The dough will be soft but still firmer than most batters. You need a bag that is strong enough and doesn’t break if you have to use some force.
Also make sure you use the dough right away. This is one dough that cannot be stored. If you leave it for too long it will loose its airy and creamy texture. Not what you want.
Traditionally, butter spritz cookies are piped in zigzag stripes across the cookie sheet. Once baked, they are then cut into individual cookies right away after baking. I chose to pipe individual cookies, which might be the easiest way to start.
BAKING TIP: To get the classic ridges of sprits cookies, use a piping bag fitted with a star tip (for example a 1M tip).
These delicious buttery cookies keep in an airtight container or cookie tin for 4 to 6 weeks.
You can freeze the baked cookies in a proper freezer bag for up to 3 months.
My collection of delicious Dutch cookies is ever expanding on the site.
Use a paddle attachment (also called a flat beater).
The cookies need to cool completely after baking so they can firm up and become crisp. If they’re still soft after cooling, they may have needed a little more time in the oven.
You can briefly warm the outside of the bowl with a blow dryer, but be careful not to melt the butter.
Lightly beat an egg in a small bowl. Then weigh 25 grams/0.9 oz of the beaten egg in another bowl. It is about half an egg.
Your butter may have been too soft or melted. When the butter is too soft, the cookies spread too much while baking.
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