I wish I had OCD for something like laundry or eating celery. But no. I have to be obsessed with Neapolitan. And ‘rose’ anything.
Like the Neapolitan Rose Cake. Or the Neapolitan Chocolate Cookies Cups with Strawberry Buttercream. I cant even tell you about all the Neapolitan desserts and Rose themed desserts I have made… well I could but lets just move on.
I aint here to bore ya. Today.
Believe it or not, I have never made a basic Spritz cookie before! They are so good, so nice and buttery and light. Hardly what I am used to baking… which is rich, heavy, sugary flavors. These sweet cookies have just a hint of vanilla sweetness in their buttery crispiness.
So I paired it up with an even more subtle buttercream… marshmallow. I dont know if I can detect a marshmallow flavor, but I do love the light airy texture that the fluff provides to this particular cookies sandwich.
Here is the Marshmallow Buttercream recipe I used.
Then I decided to get all crazy and make chocolate and strawberry too! Because, ya know, that whole OCD with Neapolitan and Rose thing.
Now, just a heads up in the Spritz recipe. I tried to find an origin, or the original recipe to give someone credit, and lost an hour of my life perusing google. So let it be known, the vanilla Spritz cookies are NOT my original recipe! I did however make up the strawberry and chocolate versions… but am sure they are not original either. If you know who invented these sweet treats (I have a feeling they lived before the inter-web was invented) then please let me know and I will give full credit!
This one I am crediting to my MIL until notified otherwise. 
Ingredients
- 1 cup room temperature butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon strawberry extract
- pink gel food coloring
- 1/4 cup cocoa
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°F. Combine butter, sugar, egg and extract in mixer. Blend at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add flour and salt; and blend at low speed until well mixed. Divide and tint dough, if desired.
- To make Rose Cookie Spritz, insert a 1M or 2D tip into pastry bag. Fill bag with cookie dough. I found that if the dough was a bit warm (as in heated by the warmth from my hands) it was easier to pipe out these cookies.
- Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, or until slightly golden.
- To make Strawberry Spritz Cookies:
- Replace vanilla extract with 1/4 teaspoon strawberry. Tint dough with pink gel food coloring.
- To make Chocolate Spritz Cookies:
- Replace 1/4 cup of flour with 1/4 cup of cocoa. Do not use almond extract.
Tips for success:
Do not chill the dough. You will need it about room temperature for easier piping.
If you have ever made a Spritz cookie before, this dough should be exactly the same as that. Like in here and here. Piping it through a large star tip should be the same experience as using a cookie press. This a basic recipe, with no major alterations. If you end up adding more liquid the cookies will definitely spread and you will not have a defined shape.
I would make the chocolate dough separately and not try to divide one recipe into three. If you do so the proportions will be off and the cookies will spread.
A reader suggested using a smaller amount in your piping bag to help it warm quicker and to allow for easier piping. I had about 2-3 cups of dough in my pastry bag, but can see how using 1 cup at a time might be easier!
*The recipe I originally posted called for 2/3 cup of sugar, but I have since switched it to 1/2 cup. While I found success with 2/3 cup, seems that some did not.
Since I made like 47,957 of these cookies I decided I needed to share them. I found these fun ice cream containers and made up a handy dandy little label in photoshop.
Just in case you might ask, I got the strawberry extract at Walmart. But you can also get it online, through sites like Amazon.
I ordered the Ice Cream containers from Sweet Bliss Containers.
The 1M tip is from Wilton and you can get them online as well. (I use mine for everything! From cupcakes to rose cookies to my Original Rose Cakes!)
What fun treats are you sharing for Valentines Day this year?
So pretty! I love that you used the 1M tip to pipe these cookies instead of a standard cookie gun. The packaging is so creative too!
These are gorgeous, friend! I love how you packaged them!
How long do you bake them? I’m guessing 8-10 minutes, but you never know. They are absolutely beautiful!
Whoops! Recipe is updated now!
These are SO Amanda! I love them! They are so pretty! I will defiantly be making some of these soon! Some of your rose addiction has rubbed off onto me!
These are so Beautiful!!!! The packaging is perfect too!!!
So sweet and pretty!
As usual………to die for!!!!!!!!!!!
I can’t wait to try them, and the packaging. How original.
Thanks Shari! I actually saw this type of packaging on Pinterest… but was totally unable to locate the source! So I agree… it is an original and fun idea… but totally not mine! lol
These are so sweet, Amanda! Just seeing those colors together makes me happy!
You are too funny searching the internet for the originator of the spritz cookie!
Your out-of-the-box thinking is what inspires me most about your blog, Amanda. Hello…we can use spritz cookie dough *beyond* the cookie press!! This has never once entered my mind, and now there’s a world of new cookie possibilities. These are so beautiful (and, of course, creative) – who wouldn’t love a Valentine’s bouquet of these roses?!
Sweetest comment ever. I so respect and admire you Kathy, so your kind words have really humbled me this morning. Thank you.
These are absolutely gorgeous and would be my favorite roses for Valentine’s Day! You are a genius!
No YOU are! I am still thinking about that amazing Valentines Day menu you have on your blog… everything is calling to me!
I really love how they look – so creative an fun! Just a question though, these would be great to make for my little sister’s birthday this weekend but I won’t have time to make them after tomorrow. Is it possible to make them tomorrow and then store them in the freezer to this weekend. When should I then frost them? And how is the best way to bring them to room temperature?
Thanks so much for a perfect recipie!!
Hi Johanna- I cant speak with authority on the freezing process, but I know my MIL makes dozens and freezes them every year and no one knows the difference. I would assume defrost time would be comparable to any frozen cookie treat. I actually frosted my cookies and photographed them the next day, so I believe you could frost and prepare the sandwiches ahead of time very easily. Happy birthday to your sis!
These are gorgeous my friend!! I love them completely!
These are absolutely gorgeous and fit your cute little neapolitan theme that pops up once and a while. LOVE this idea!
so pretty!!! i want to eat them for breakfast right now!!!
These are so cute, and they look incredibly tasty!
These are gorgeous! Love them so much.
Wow… love it all!
Did you just use a basic buttercream frosting in the middle. I love these!
These are gorgeous Amanda! I love the way you packed them and the instructions are by my own heard : eat, repeat! Yes!
These are adorable! My last attempt at a spritz cookie was a disaster, but this has me willing to give them another shot!
Amanda … I’m such a fan! Love everything you do … really!! Question about the size of the ice cream container you used and if it is the “pint”. how many cookies were you able to fit into the container without breakage? Guess I also wanted to know about how large the cookie is before they are baked, and do they expand as they are baking? Sorry for so many questions. I’m thinking “macaroon” size, right?
Hi Donna! I have the quart size pictured for the cookies. The cookies dont spread hardly at all! They can be any size you want depending on how big you pipe them. Happy Baking!
These are the prettiest spritz! Love the neapolitan!
Will you be my valentine?????? That would be awesome
These are beautiful cookies and you used marshmallow butter cream.. you’re the best.
I haven’t made spritz cookies in years. This beautiful version is definitely an incentive to break out the mixing bowls. These are so lovely. I would much rather have these than a dozen real roses!
SWEDISH SPRITZ!
My grandmother (immigrated from Sweden) always had these on hand. Hers had more almond in them and the shapes were usually round like a wreath.
I was always told they are Swedish…however, I think most Scandinavian cultures have them in variation :0
they are so addicting and so wonderful with coffee in the morning!
These are STUNNING! I’ve made tons of spritz cookies {a Mexican variation called biscotios} but never ever have they been this gorgeous! I absolutely love this idea!
I tried these tonight with my husband as I enjoy baking and he likes to spend time with me! He actually chose this thinking oh we can whip these up quick easy no prob. Well they taste good but even my hubby could not squeeze them so I added a bit of liquid and then they did not hold the shape! Amanda is Amazing she makes hard stuff look easy peazy….. I still had fun tonight and the cookies are yum-o. I just wish I could had given some away to show off… Oh well more for us..night& thanks again Amanda you rock.
So sorry Stephanie! I would think adding some liquid would definitely make the cookies spread. I had a hard time piping the cookies until I let the dough warm up from the heat of my hand. Then it was much, much easier! Glad you guys had some quality time together… hopefully next time you will get the beautiful result you want!! Be blessed~
Oh these are so cute and I love those ice cream containers to gift them in!
Hi,
Could you please tell me what frosting recipe you used for these amazing cookies. I really want to make them! Thank you! They are stunning!
Ooop! I just found the link posted above – Thanks!
So adorable! I am so making these for my daughter’s birthday!
so pretty, I just love neapolitan items and these are for sure a WINNER pretty and choc/van/straw
I want to make these! Question though…how would I go about making all 3 flavours from the same Batch? The instructions say to replace 1/4 cup of flour with cocoa for chocolate…but if I’m making the dough then dividing and flavouring, how would I go about replacing the flour? Does that make sense? Or is it just best to make double or triple this recipe and go about it that way?
I would not divide this batter into three with the chocolate flavor… I would make it its own batter. I made three separate batters for my three separate cookies. If you really really want to use one batter for three flavors, you can get chocolate extract and omit the cocoa powder.
I love the versatility of the Wilton tip 1M!
This is what i’m waiting for my sweet valentine project!
I make something similar last year and we call those wookie, mix between cookie and Whoopi pie…
You have many talent, thanks for sharing.
I love these so much! I love the flavors, that you made them into roses and the packaging is such a great idea!
Amanda .. hi it’s me again … I made the strawberry cookies tonight and like Stephanie (above comment) I had trouble with the cookies holding their piped shape during the baking time. They are a beautiful color and taste fantastic, but part of the charm of your cookies is the “rose” effect! After the first batch didn’t hold up, I piped the next two trays and put them in the freezer for about 5 minutes thinking that might solve the problem, but they turned out just about the same. I am going to try the chocolate and vanilla flavors tomorrow morning, but I would be interested in any suggestion you may have. My batter was really “sturdy” but I warmed it as you suggested and it piped perfectly. However, my excitement deflated much like the cookies as I watched through the oven glass
Thanks for anyones help
Hi Donna- Thanks for taking the time to write! I made three batches of these cookies and not once did any spread out. I wonder… was your butter room temp. or melted? Is your oven calibrated? I found this cookie recipe http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/the-ultimate-spritz/aa68df04-bd64-4f1b-8421-0df82064bca4 and this recipe http://www.landolakes.com/recipe/747/kellys-favorite-spritz-cookies that are very similar to my MIL’s. No one seems to have a spreading issue… ? I feel awful I cant offer you more tips on this. Maybe try using one of the recipes that I linked to here and just add pink food coloring… I am sure you wont have a spreading issue then!
Thanks for your prompt reply! My butter was room temperature (I never melt unless it says to) and my oven is calibrated. I have a wedding cake business so we are very observant about that. I am going to try the choc and vanilla ones here in a bit and will pray for a good outcome! Keep your fingers crossed for me, will ya? P.S. I just did an entire four tiered wedding cake in the 1M rose pattern, ombre pink colored. It was absolutely stunning and “crazy” easy! (compared to most I do) … so many thanks for bringing this “pattern” to life! I am baker 2
These are so pretty !! I have to try them very soon !!!
Love the cookies and the packaging! Great post.
Haha…CVS (Chocolate Vanilla Strawberry) instead of OCD?
They look delicious and perfectly beautiful Amanda!
These are so pretty! I made a batch last night, and also had the problem of them not holding their shape. You can still tell that they’re roses, but the design is nowhere near as clear as it was before baking or in the pictures you shared. I’m sure the folks at my potluck will still enjoy them, though.
I also had a really hard time piping these. I had to go with really small quantities of dough in my pastry bag, and then squeezed and squeezed and squeezed until it would warm up enough to pipe. I figured that if I’d refrigerated them after piping, they might have held better. Dunno.
Anyway, not complaining. Just wanted to add another user experience to the mix.
Sorry Debbie! This is a basic spritz recipe, so should translate easily from the cookie press to the piping bag. Sorry that wasnt the case for you! Sounds like the idea of smaller quantities in the piping bag is a good one! Hope you have better results next time.
I never made a spritz cookie using a tip and bag, just using the cookie press. But now I know that using the tips you can have those wonderful roses…that makes me wanted to bake some.
IN LOVE with these! So beautiful Amanda!
These are beautiful and the Neapolitan colors are so edible!
OMG girl I LOOOOVE these! we love spritz cookies, I’ve never thought to use a pastry bag and tip instead of my gun! or other flavors! genius I tell you!
Hi Amanda – thanks for all your lovely dessert ideas and posts! I design all-natural dessert tables and am always looking for inspiration. For a V-Day table I’m creating this week, I was going to make the rose-frosted cookies I saw on “Jenny Cookies” site, but then I saw your post. I love the idea of baking the actual cookie into a rose! Totally making these instead. And how cute would these be made into cookie pops, with green paper leaves attached to the “stems”? I might just have to try that.
Wishing you and yours a Valentine’s Day full of love. xo
Hi Dawn! Jenny’s Cookies actually borrowed that idea from me! I posted my Rose Cookie tutorial http://iambaker.net/rose-cookie-tutorial/ in May of 2011, and Jenny shared hers in Oct of 2011. I hope that either way you go you have wonderful Valentines Day display!
Okay, I did pretty good for the first try. The challenge was to push it through the pastry bag…Thank you for sharing…
I love the flavors, the roses and the packaging! I need to dig out my cookie gun
Oh my goodness are these beautiful. They remind me of French macaroons, but even more elegant. Definitely worthy of being in a bakery window!
Hi, your cookies are gorgeous! I had a quick question about the flavoring. You said to make the strawberry you replace the vanilla with 1/4 teaspoon of strawberry extract. Was this a typo? Should I replace the almond with 1/4 teaspoon of strawberry extract? Thanks!
Amanda they are really beautiful…but I have a question/dilemma that I hope you can help me with… i am making crown shaped sugar cookies and I would like to use your flood glaze as opposed to the royal…I really like the glaze better! but I have to use the edible markers on the whole cookie, I am doing the union jack flag…will the icing be to soft to color the cookie with the marker…I am thinking that it might be…m
Hi!
Great idea!
I placed in on my blog and put your name under it with a link to your website ; )
Greetings from Holland
i don’t know how chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry came to be such a popular combination, but i love it too! this is a very terrific cookie idea, amanda.
These are such gorgeous cookies and I am a sucker for pretty packaging. I hope that you have a Happy Valentine’s Day.
Thanks! I hope you do too!
These are GORGEOUS! I seriously squealed when I opened up my reader!
Happy love day!
Hi Amanda!!! Loveeee this site! I had a question tho, when you bake the spritz cookies, do you just pipe them on to a cookie sheet or something then bake them and then put them together with the filling or is there something else u need to do in a different order of some sort? Thanks!!
Wow! I love, love, love these! I think they’d be perfect for Mother’s Day (note to self) – thanks for sharing!
How very gorgeous!
It’s still so amazing to me when people can make such amazing-looking food from such basic ingredients! These little cookies are adorable and look like you just plucked them from a cake.
These are so cute, I love spritz cookies!! These are even better than regular spritz cookies!!
Thanks Julie!!
These are simply gorgeous. I wish I found your site way before today! curious, after sandwiching the cookies with buttercream, how many days can they last at room temperature?
We only had ours for 3 days before they were all gone… but they were still moist and delicious on the third day!
I figured it will not last that long. Did you use the crusting buttercream or normal buttercream? I find the crusting one is extreemely sweet. trying to find a nice alternative.
those are absolutely gorgeous cookies!
sorry so late in posting, my life was turned (literally) upside down by a blizzard.
i miss baking!
i would LOVE to try making these but very afraid. lol
Looks good! You never bore me.
I am loving these as a party favor! Thanks for sharing.
These are so incredibly beautiful! Vintage beauties. You inspire me! {all the way to South Africa!}
So very, very pretty! Amanda, I just adore how you made simple buttery Spritz cookies look as fancy as French Macarons…Neapolitan-style…for V-Day! Lovely packaging, too. I’m sorry I missed this as I would have made them for hubby. He loves Spritz cookies at Christmastime. Thank you for sharing your twist! xo
These are adorable! I can’t wait to try them
I could think of worse things to be obsessed with, love those pretty cookies and the cute ice cream containers you put them in!
It’s difficult to imagine NOT eating such pretty looking cookies! Yum
What a gorgeous cookie idea! Love how you cookie-fied your cake:)
I love love love the idea of these, they look so pretty! I shall be making these for the weekend
Thank you so much for this beautiful recipe and tutorial. I started with the strawberry ones. I do lots of baking and decorating. I warmed and warmed the dough and then even added more extract. I went through three bags and they all popped after the third cookie. What am I doing wrong? Do I just need crazy muscles to get it to go through? I would love to make these, but my arms are hurting! Any help would be much appreciated!
jill
Mine worked pretty well at room temperature, but when the dough was chilled I was struggling too. So sorry it hasnt been easy!
Love the modern take on a traditional cookie! I’ve been working on ideas for containers and the ice cream quart is simply brilliant. We started out using chinese food containers but we run into the same problem you did, it’s hard to get a decent number inside. The metal tins seem like a better choice however they create empty spaces. Do you have any suggestions for creative containers?
This are absolutely lovely!! Congratulations! I think they’re just perfect for a wedding =)
I’d like to make these for my sons communion as a favour for the guests. Can I make these in advance and freeze? Even baking the sprintz cookies and then filling them and assembling them a couple days before? Is the cookie filling marshmallow meringue okay left out at room temperature ?
Thank you for your help. I lve them by the way beautiful work!
I could not find strawberry extract anywhere, so I replaced 1/8 c of the flour with trawberry jello powder, and those turned out by far to be the best of the 3.
I also didn’t need to use any food coloring.
I imagine you could do that with any flavor of jello, lemon, raspberry, etc.
Just thought I’d share.
Awesome, thank you!
I saw these when I was searching for mothers day ideas. I tried them with a small tip first, and it didn’t turn out too well. But the second time I acquired the correct tip and they came out perfectly! Instead of the marshmallow buttercream I tried a brandy buttercream recipe. Thanks for making these for all of us to copy your delicious recipe!
I’m looking to make this tomorrow for dinner at a friends, and am looking to make them more summery. Would added food coloring totalling less than 1/2 a tsp. throw off the batter enough to make them spread significantly? Could I correct this with a bit of extra flour?
I so wish I had seen these a month ago. I made macarons as a wedding favor for a friend’s wedding. While they turned out okay, they are so fragile that I am sure some broke. I made your rose ombre cake in shades of purple for the rehearsal dinner, so these would have been perfect. Oh well, next time. Thanks for your blog and tutorials, Amanda. And all the best to you in your new home and with your sweet new baby girl.