Spritz Cookies History Maureen Haddock From the Cookie Jar Blog (2024)

FAQs

What is the history of Spritz cookies? ›

These buttery holiday stalwarts have allegedly been around since at least the 16th century, when food historians believe the first cookie press was invented. Spritz comes from the German word spritzen, meaning “to squirt”—and as such, spritz cookies are always extruded.

Improper flour measurement is the #1 cause of your cookie dough being too dry or the cookies tasting like flour.

Even more important than creaming is the way in which you incorporate the flour. Simply adding the flour to the stand mixer and beating it in runs the risk of overdeveloping gluten and giving you a tough or dense cookie (not what you want after all that work with the creaming).

*If your dough feels too stiff and like it would be difficult to press, add vanilla extract or water (a teaspoon at a time) until you achieve a soft, workable dough. *If your cookies are not sticking to the cookie sheet well, try refrigerating the pans for 10 to 15 minutes to chill them.

The spritz has its origins in Veneto, Italy, where prosecco comes from. The story goes that the spritz originated during the 1800s when Austrians visiting Italy would dilute Italian wines with a “spritz” (German for “splash”) of soda water to make them lighter and more to their taste.

Spritz becomes a co*cktail: The 1920s

The Spritz as a co*cktail was born between Padua and Venice in the first post-war period, when the liquor houses Barbieri and Pilla invented the Aperol and the Select, two low-alcohol aperitifs.

(Plus, the best sheet pans are nonstick.) If you grease the pans unnecessarily, the dough will flatten too much as it bakes. Related, reusing baking sheets for multiple batches of cookies can be another cause of flat cookies. Residual grease left on the sheet from the previous batch can lead to too much spread.

As a bonus, I did a little research to find out just what role each ingredient plays in chocolate chip cookies, so you can adjust your recipe however you feel like experimenting. Flour adds fluff and texture to the cookies. Adding too little flour can cause cookies to be flat, greasy, and crispy.

Sticky dough usually means your dough is too soft. Try chilling it for a few minutes or add 1 teaspoon of sifted flour to your dough until the proper consistency is achieved.

Begin with cool, ungreased cookie sheets. You can even skip parchment paper or a silicone mat, which may encourage spreading. Keep it simple.

Why are spritz cookies so good? ›

“There is a particular density to the dough of spritz that other cookies don't have,” she says. “Very dense, very buttery.”

Layer delicate cookies, such as spritz or gingerbread men, between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container. So how long do cookies last like this? The cookies will stay fresh at room temperature or in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or freeze the cookies up to 3 months.

If it's too cold, it'll be hard to squeeze out of the pres. If it's too warm, it'll be too soft, and it won't hold its shape when baked. Holding your hand on the tube will warm the dough, so try to use just one hand on the trigger – place your other hand on the cookie sheet to keep it from moving.

Excess Sugar and Fat

Measuring is key in baking. If your cookie contains excess sugar or fat, it will spread while baking. If your first batch of cookies spreads, try adding a few tablespoons of flour to help thicken the remaining dough.

The world spritz is German for splash, and this name was given to the way Austrian soldiers prepared the Italian wine they were drinking. They found it too strong, and in order to make it easier to drink (more like the alcohol content of the beer they were accustomed to) they added a splash (a spritz) of still water.

These cookies are nearly identical, except for one ingredient: egg.

Another claim is that the American name derives from the Dutch word koekje or more precisely its informal, dialect variant koekie which means little cake, and arrived in American English with the Dutch settlement of New Netherland, in the early 1600s.

Chocolate chip cookies are claimed to have originated in the United States in 1938, when Ruth Graves Wakefield chopped up a Nestlé semi-sweet chocolate bar and added the chopped chocolate to a cookie recipe; however, historical recipes for grated or chopped chocolate cookies exist prior to 1938 by various other authors ...