After the chill time, I take out one portion of dough at a time. I roll it into a log that fits snugly into the barrel of my press. Following the press instructions, I press the cookies directly onto the cold, parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about an inch apart. I press firmly and evenly until I hear or feel the click, then lift straight up. If the dough sticks, the dough is likely too warm—pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes. Once a sheet is filled, I decorate with nonpareils or colored sugar before baking. This ensures they stick. Then, I bake for 7-9 minutes, just until the cookies are set and the bottoms are a faint, golden blonde.
Pro Tips for Best Results
I tested the dough temperature three different ways: using warm dough right after mixing, chilling for 30 minutes, and chilling for over an hour. The 30-minute chill is the absolute sweet spot. Warm dough oozes from the press and spreads; over-chilled dough is too hard to press and can crack. A brief, firm chill gives you the perfect pliable-yet-firm texture that releases a perfect cookie every single time.
Here’s what I learned the hard way about the baking surface: always use a cold baking sheet. If you press cookies onto a warm sheet (from a previous batch), the butter in the dough will start to melt on contact, causing the cookies to lose their shape and spread. I keep two or three baking sheets in rotation, so I always have a cool one ready to go. This one tip solved 90% of my Spritz spreading problems.
Don’t grease your baking sheets or use wax paper. The dough needs to stick slightly to the surface to release from the press. Parchment paper or a silicone mat provides the perfect non-stick, non-greasy surface for the dough to grip and then release cleanly after baking. If your press isn’t releasing, it’s almost always a dough temperature issue, not a pan issue. Trust the parchment.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
My biggest first-time mistake was not creaming the butter and sugar long enough. I mixed them until they were just combined, which resulted in a dense, greasy cookie that didn’t have that signature melt-in-your-mouth lightness. You really need to whip air into it for the full few minutes until it’s pale and fluffy. This step builds the cookie’s structure and texture, so don’t rush it.(See the next page below to continue…)