By contributing writer Tessa
A quintessential holiday cookie: the spritz! A SUPER simple buttery cookie that dates back to Germany where the word spritzen referred back to the word meaning “to squirt.” This is of course refers to the cookie press method of “squirting” dough through the press in an infinite number of designs!
Kids love them, and the simple, buttery flavor has won hearts all over the world. Traditionally, they are meant to be a very fragile, buttery cookie, not too sweet. If you wish yours to be more firm, you must use a binder (egg) and some additional flour.
It did not take much for me to realize the similarities between spritz and shortbread. They have identical ingredients but different cooking methods. And I know not everyone has a cookie press, so I am providing a lot of options with this flexible and oh so delicious cookie dough!
Options: Beyond the egg as a binder, you can also play with the extracts and the sweetener (all noted in the recipe). Each way provides its own little twist. Let your own taste buds be your guide.
Happy holiday baking!
Gluten Free & Egg Free Spritz & Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup clarified butter ghee, or allowed butter
- 1/2 cup palm sugar or any granulated sugar Add up to 1/4 cup more if you prefer. Powdered sugar is an option and will give a different, powdery texture.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or almond, lemon, or orange
- 1 egg optional. If you can tolerate eggs and want a firmer, less flaky cookie, add an egg along with about 1/3 - 1/2 cup additional flour, a little of each of the below.
- 1/2 cup brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour
- 1/4 cup sweet rice flour
- 1/4 cup sorghum flour
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon guar gum or xanthum gum
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla until creamy.
- With the mixer running, sprinkle in the sea salt and guar gum.
- Add the remaining flour and beat thoroughly to mix. Dough will take a bit to come together and will look like crumbs, but as the butter warms, it blends.
- Refrigerate dough to firm up, 10-20 minutes (this will depend on the temperature of your butter when you started).
To Make Spritz Cookies
- Place dough into a cookie press and press the cookies onto a greased or lined cookie sheet, about an inch apart. Bake for about 8-10 minutes until just golden. Let cool to firm up, then remove to cooling rack.
To Make Thumbprint Cookies
- Roll about two teaspoons of dough into a ball, press a finger gently in the center to make an indentation, then fill as you like with jelly or chocolate! Bake for about 10-12 minutes until just golden around the edges.
To Make Shortbread
- Press the dough into an 8 inch pie pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar. Prick all over with a fork and cut into about 12 wedges. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until lightly golden at edge.
Marianne says
I made these cookies and was so pleased! I can’t tolerate gluten, dairy, eggs, corn or any of the gums so treats are few. I did have one issue. Like I said, no gums, so I replaced the xanthan with psyllium husk powder measure for measure. My cookies really spread out rather than maintaining shape. The taste was excellent, so I will continue to make them regardless, but I was wondering if you have any suggestions?
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes!
Marianne says
Turns out that you need about 3 tablespoons of psyllium husk powder to replace 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum. I made these again and they were perfect! I look forward to playing with this recipe,
Thank you again!