Viennese cookies or Spritz

You've probably wondered what the perfect recipe would be to make those butter biscuits from the popular blue tin box. Yes, I'm talking about those popular tea biscuits : today we bring you the traditional recipe to make Spritz biscuits at home, a classic of European pastry, those delicious butter biscuits . In this post, we discover a classic recipe that will allow you to recreate these delicacies in your own kitchen. They are very easy to make!

Spritz cookies are characterized by their crumbly texture and delicious buttery almond flavor . These cookies are perfect to accompany a cup of tea or coffee and are ideal to share with friends and family during holidays and special occasions.

These buttery cookies are commonly associated with the Viennese culinary tradition. These buttery almond cookies originated in Austria and have become a classic of Viennese baking. They are often called "Spritzgebäck" in German, which means "pressed biscuits" or "hand-pressed biscuits," referring to the way they are made by pressing dough through a cookie press.

It's important to note that these cookies are known and enjoyed in several European cultures, so there may be slightly different variants and names depending on the region. In Denmark and other parts of Scandinavia, similar cookies known as "kransekage" are also made, which share some similarities with Spritz cookies.

In short, although these cookies have their roots in Viennese tradition, they are appreciated in many parts of Europe and beyond, with regional names and variations.

In the world of baking, there are recipes that transcend time and become true culinary gems. Danish Spritz cookies are a clear example of this. With their unmistakable shape and melt-in-your-mouth texture , these cookies are a true treasure of traditional baking. Let's get to it!

The only thing you will need to make them is a press like the Le Tube gun , which apart from dosing the dough perfectly will help you make the most beautiful and varied shapes.

Ingredients

• 190 g softened butter (not liquid)
• 75 g icing sugar
• 2 pinches of fleur de sel
• 1/2 vanilla bean or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• the white of 1 egg
• 225 g baking flour

Preparation

Traditional basic recipe for making Danish cookies:

1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients. Do not over mix, just until fully combined.
2. Transfer the mixture obtained to the nozzle of the Le Tube gun from De Buyer , or to a pastry bag. If you use the gun, place it in position 2, and with the nozzle you want (or without a nozzle, if you want to make them smooth round). You can give them different shapes or make several of one shape and change them.
3. Press the gun to release the dough onto a perforated De Buyer tray (ideally a non-stick one or a stainless steel one with a perforated silicone mat). Leave space between them, because they sink and widen in the oven.
4. If you want your cookies (or some of them) to have the sugar in crystals on top, sprinkle it on top now. Use coarse crystal sugar. If you want to add chopped or flaked almonds, you can also add them now, before baking.
5. Bake at 220°C for about 15 minutes (or until golden brown). Remove when the edges start to brown and do not touch them - they will be soft, they will have hardened out of the oven.

Decorate the cookies

• If you want to cover them in chocolate (either completely, some ends or halves of the cookies), do so when they have cooled.
• If you want to put jam in the centre of some of them, decorate with shavings, put a whole almond or hazelnut in the centre, or similar, I recommend doing it right after they come out of the oven: as the cookies are still soft, you can lightly press the ingredients you want to decorate with, to mould them better and make them "adhere better" to the cookie.

Notes and tips

1. Butter Temperature : Make sure your butter is at room temperature before you begin. Softened butter will mix more easily with other ingredients and help achieve the right texture for your cookies.

2. Use a Cookie Press : To give your Spritz cookies their characteristic shape, it is highly recommended to use a cookie press (in our case, we have recommended the gun, that's what we're talking about). The pressure exerted by the gun, combined with the shape of the nozzle you choose, will ensure that the cookies keep their shape and obtain the right texture.

3. Don't Over-Knead the Dough : Mix the dough just enough to combine the ingredients. Avoid over-kneading, as this can result in tough cookies instead of crumbly ones.

4. Precise Baking : Pay attention to baking time. Spritz cookies should have a light golden color on the edges. Don't overbake them, as they can become crunchy or too dry instead of buttery.

5. Proper Cooling : Allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container. This will help them maintain their optimal texture and flavor.

6. Experiment with Flavors : While the classic Spritz cookie recipe is delicious, feel free to experiment with flavors by adding extracts like vanilla, almond, or lemon to give them a personal touch. And dip them in chocolate! That's always a big hit.

7. Decorate to Your Taste : You can decorate your cookies with chocolate chips, nuts, jam, or sprinkled powdered sugar. Let your creativity fly and give your cookies a unique touch.

8. Dough Consistency : If the dough seems too soft and the cookies spread too much in the oven, you can refrigerate it for a while before shaping them with the gun.

9. Storage: Once they have cooled, it is important to keep them insulated and tightly sealed. In our Stands and storage section you will find the most beautiful and practical cookie boxes and containers to store them, or to turn the cookies into a beautiful gift.