Jam Spritz Cookies
These Jam Spritz Cookies are buttery, crisp, and beautifully shaped — everything you want in a classic spritz, with a bright pop of jam in the center. They’re quick to make, hold their design perfectly, and look stunning on any holiday cookie platter. Use your favorite jams to add color and flavor, from raspberry to apricot to strawberry. One dough, endless festive possibilities.
Spritz cookies always remind me of those years when I baked trays and trays of holiday cookies for friends, neighbors, teachers — basically anyone who stood still long enough. Jam-filled spritz were my “show-off without trying” cookie. They looked fancy, yet the dough came together in minutes, and the kids loved choosing which jam went into the centers. Even now, these little jam jewels feel like a sweet, simple tradition I never want to skip.
Why is this the best recipe?
- Buttery & delicate — the classic spritz texture that stays light and crisp.
- Jam-filled prettiness — instant color and flavor without extra work.
- Foolproof dough — soft enough for a cookie press, sturdy enough to hold its shape.
- Customizable — switch up the jams, add spices, play with colors.
- Fast — dough to tray in minutes, baked in under 10. A holiday win.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Unsalted butter — gives you full control of the flavor.
- Sugar — regular white sugar keeps the cookies pale and light.
- Egg + vanilla + almond extract — classic spritz flavor.
- All-purpose flour — no fancy blends needed.
- Cornstarch — keeps the cookies tender and short.
- Cinnamon / ginger (optional) — adds a warm holiday note.
- Jam — choose a thick, seedless jam so it doesn’t run.
👣 Step-by-Step: Jam Spritz Cookies – Butter Cookies with Jam Centers
Cookie dough
- Set your oven to 180°C / 356°F / Gas Mark 4. Spritz cookies bake fast, so you want the oven fully heated before you start pressing the dough.
- Mix the dry ingredients – In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and any optional spices. This keeps the texture light and prevents clumps in the dough.
- Cream the wet ingredients – In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until pale, fluffy, and almost mousse-like. This step is crucial because spritz cookies rely entirely on this creaming for lift — there’s no baking powder here.
- Mix in the egg, then the vanilla and almond extracts. Scrape the bowl and beat again until smooth and creamy. If it looks slightly curdled, keep mixing — it will come together.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture. Mix just until a soft dough forms. The dough should feel supple and pipe-able, not stiff. If it’s too firm, give it a few minutes at room temperature.
Prepare dough and Fill Cookie Press
- Divide the dough into 2–3 portions. If you want festive colors, tint each portion with gel color. The dough should be soft enough to pack easily into the press without crumbling.
- Pack the dough into the Marcato press, making sure there are no air pockets. Choose your disc — flowers, snowflakes, trees… they all work beautifully. Twist the cap on securely.
- Hold the press straight up against a clean, grease-free baking sheet. Press once, hold for a second, then lift straight up. The suction releases the dough neatly onto the tray.
- (If a cookie has a little point, tap it down with a damp fingertip.)
Bake and Fill with jam
- Bake for 6–8 minutes, just until the edges show the faintest hint of color. They overbake quickly, so stay close. Let them cool on the tray for 10 minutes — they firm up as they sit.
- Pipe a small amount of jam into the center of each cookie. Thicker jams work best because they don’t run. Once the jam sets, the cookies are ready to stack, pack, or gift.
🍪 How to Properly Use the Marcato Biscotti/Cookie Press
The Marcato press is wonderfully sturdy, but it behaves differently from the cheaper plastic presses. The key is consistency and angle.
- Pack the dough firmly into the barrel — no gaps. Choose your disc, lock the cap, and prime the press by clicking once or twice until the dough reaches the bottom.
- Place the press flat on the baking tray, straight up, and give one confident click.
- Hold it against the tray for a second before lifting. The metal mechanism gives you beautifully defined shapes, but it relies on the tray being clean, dry, and unlined.
- If the cookies won’t release easily, chill the tray for 3–5 minutes, then try again — cold metal grabs the dough perfectly.
- Once you get the rhythm, the Marcato turns out dozens of identical cookies in minutes.
- Marcato’s biscuit maker makes shapes for easy cookies and other treats; No Rolling dough;;Made from anodized aluminum wash in warm, soapy water
- Dough thickness adjustable
- Hand wash recommended
- Anodized aluminium for food processing colored through oxidation
⭐ Tips for Success
- Use room-temperature butter — not too soft, not melted.
- Cream well — this is your only leavening.
- Dough should be soft, not sticky — adjust with a teaspoon of milk or flour if needed.
- Press onto an unlined metal tray so the dough grips and releases cleanly.
- Chill the baking tray for a few minutes if cookies won’t stick when pressing.
- Bake lightly — remove as soon as the edges get a hint of color.
- Use thick, seedless jam so it stays neat in the center.
🛠 Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Cookies won’t stick when pressing | Use an unlined, dry tray; chill the tray 3–5 minutes. |
| Dough too stiff for the press | Warm slightly or add 1–2 tsp milk. |
| Shapes losing definition | Butter was too soft — use firmer butter next time. |
| Cookies spreading | Chill the pressed cookies on the tray for 10 minutes. |
| Jam running | Use thicker jam or strain watery jams. |
| Cookies sticking after baking | Let them cool 10 minutes on the tray before lifting. |
Frequently asked questions
These cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to a week. You can freeze the dough for up to a month or freeze the cookies for up to three months.
I’ve been through my fair share of cookie press disasters and would end up putting my dough into a piping bag. While I’m not a slave to brands, I will say that since I’ve had this Italian cookie press, I’ve not had a single day of frustration or disappointment. My cookies press out perfectly every single time.
The other two recommended and affordable cookie presses are these models by OXO and Wilton.
You certainly can. However, you want to bring the cookie dough back to room temperature so it’s soft and can be pressed out of the cookie press. Stiff cookie dough will be hard to press out and can even break your cookie press.
If you use parchment paper, it will be hard to press the cookies because the parchment paper will lift up every time you pick up the press. The best way to get perfectly shaped cookies with the press is to use the press directly on an ungreased, clean baking tray. Don’t worry, they do not get stuck on the tray (unless the tray is not clean).
Jam Spritz Cookies
These jam spritz cookies are a twist on my Christmas spritz cookies only filled with strawberry jam. It's using my simple and easy no-fail recipe. Perfect at any time of the year, but also a great addition to your holiday cookies platter. These also make amazing gifts to family and friends.
Video
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups (280 g) All-Purpose flour
- 4 tbsp (60 g) Cornstarch
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Cinnamon ground (optional)
- ¼ tsp Ginger ground (optional)
- 1 cup (227 g) Butter
- ½ cup (100 g) Sugar granulated
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- ½ tsp Almond extract
- ½ cup Strawberry jam or other
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ / 356℉/ Gas mark 4.
- Dry ingredients – In a bowl, combine flour, salt, spice, cornstarch – and set aside.2¼ cups All-Purpose flour, 4 tbsp Cornstarch, ½ tsp Salt, ½ tsp Cinnamon ground, ¼ tsp Ginger ground
- Wet ingredients – In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Next, add the egg followed by the vanilla and almond extract. Scrape the bowl and mix again until creamy.1 cup Butter, ½ cup Sugar, 1 Egg, 1 tsp Vanilla extract, ½ tsp Almond extract
- Dough – Then, add the flour mixture. The consistency of this dough is softer than that of other cookies, so it is easy to press from the cookie press.
- Fill Press: Divide the dough into 3 or 4 portions. If you prefer, you can color the dough with food coloring gels. Fill the dough into the cookie press with a Christmas disc. Every cookie press is different, so make sure to read the instructions well and set the press as per directions.
- Press cookies directly on the baking tray (no parchment paper). Hold the cookie press at a right angle (straight up) to the baking tray, press down, hold, and then lift up. If you have any points, press them down with a wet finger.
- Bake the cookies in a preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes. These do bake quickly, so keep a close eye on them. You need to take them out when the edges start to color.
- Cool on the baking tray for just 10 minutes. Then, transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Centers: Put some jam in a piping bag, cut a small hole at the end, and fill the cookie centers with jam. These cookies will stay in an airtight cookie jar for up to a week.½ cup Strawberry jam
Notes
- Use room-temperature butter — not too soft, not melted.
- Cream well — this is your only leavening.
- Dough should be soft, not sticky — adjust with a teaspoon of milk or flour if needed.
- Press onto an unlined metal tray so the dough grips and releases cleanly.
- Chill the baking tray for a few minutes if cookies won’t stick when pressing.
- Bake lightly — remove as soon as the edges get a hint of color.
- Use thick, seedless jam so it stays neat in the center.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
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I absolutely adore jam over my cookies and these spritz cookies look so cute and totally worth trying. Can’t wait to recreate them in my kitchen!
They look amazing Veena. Melt in your mouth delicious! These cookies are my favorite, I always make them for Christmas. I will use your recipe this year. Can’t wait to try them. Yum!