Peppermint Bark Cream Cheese Spritz

These bite-sized Peppermint Bark Cream Cheese Spritz are sure to be a favorite on your next holiday cookie tray!

Originated from the German word “spritzen,” these cookies translated means “to squirt.” The soft, buttery cookie dough is squirted through a cookie press or piping bag, making the classic holiday designs you know and love.

This recipe makes a large batch of cookies, and there are two recipe options for chocolate-dipped cookies or frosted mini sandwich cookies.

• Dipped Cookies: Dip the finished
  spritz cookies in melted dark chocolate then press into crushed candy canes.
• Frosted Sandwich Cookies: Using
  homemade or store-bought frosting, spread a bit of rich chocolate frosting
  between two cookies of the same shape. Squeeze the cookies just a bit and press
  the outsides of the sandwich cookie into crushed candy canes.

A few tips for success:

• Do not use a greased cookie sheet or parchment
  paper. The pressed cookies need to adhere to the metal cookie sheet. Be sure
  that your cookie sheet is completely free of grease by washing thoroughly with
  dish soap and drying completely.
• If your cookies are not adhering to the cookie
  sheet you can place the sheet in the refrigerator or freezer for 10-15 minutes.
• This recipe does not require the dough to chill
  before using, however, if your kitchen is very warm or if your butter was very
  soft you make have issues with the cookies not adhering to the cookie sheet.
  Separate the dough into sections and place it in the refrigerator for a few
  minutes if this happens.
• Since the cookies have peppermint extract in
  them you could skip the chocolate and crushed candy canes and opt for a simple
  sprinkle of colored sanding sugar before baking the cookies.
• These are SMALL cookies, so they bake quickly.
  We suggest baking for 12 minutes and checking for doneness. The cookies will
  continue to bake on the cookie sheet after they are removed from the oven. Use
  a spatula to remove the cookies to a cooling rack after no more than 5 minutes
  until firm enough to move without losing their shape.

Looking for more creative, tasty holiday cookie recipes? Try my Cream Cheese Snickerdoodles, Ice Cream Kolacky and Vanilla Ricotta Cookies too.

Peppermint Bark Cream Cheese Spritz

This recipe makes a large batch of cookies, and there are two recipe options for chocolate-dipped cookies or frosted mini sandwich cookies.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 27 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 96

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Peppermint Bark Spritz

• 1 cup butter cubed
• 3 ounce cream cheese softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 ½ cups flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Peppermint Bark

• ½ cup dark chocolate melted
• ½ cup candy canes crushed

Peppermint Bark Filling

• ½ cup chocolate frosting store-bought or prepared
• ½ cup candy canes crushed

Instructions

 

Peppermint Bark Spritz

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In the bowl of your mixer cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
• Add sugar and mix until combined, followed by egg yolk and peppermint extract.
• Add salt and then flour 1/2 cup at a time until a smooth batter forms. It should stick to itself but not to your hands.
• At this point, you can add food coloring, if using.
• Divide the cookie dough into workable batches and fill the cookie press.
• Press cookies onto a clean, ungreased cookie sheet. If cookies to dot adhere to the pan it may be greasy. Try washing the cookie sheet and placing it in the refrigerator to chill before trying again.
• Bake at 350°F for 12-15 minutes.

Dipped into Chocolate

• Dip the bottom of each cookie into dark chocolate, then press into crushed candy canes.
• Set aside on parchment or wax paper until set.

Frosted Sandwich Cookies

• Using a store-bought frosting, spread about one teaspoon of frosting onto a cookie, then press another cookie of the same shape into the frosting. Press the exposed frosting from the sides into crushed candy canes.
• Set aside on parchment or wax paper until set.

Notes

• You can color the dough before baking, if desired. We suggest gel food coloring rather than liquid. Gel food coloring is highly concentrated and will not change the dough consistency like liquid food coloring.
• You can swap out candy canes for peppermint puffs. When crushed, peppermint puffs are more of a soft powder rather than crunchy candy cane bits.
• You can freeze the baked cookies in an air-tight container for one month. Save the chocolate dipping and/or crushed candy cane decorations until ready to serve. Thawed chocolate and candy cane pieces could be sticky when defrosted.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!