Spritz cookies are a holiday season favorite, known for their buttery flavor and light texture. While they’re often consumed during the winter months, we still crave these cookies throughout the rest of the year. We found an excuse to enjoy them during the summer months by drawing inspiration from a popular summer cocktail and turning them into cute little Aperol spritz cookies.

An Aperol spritz is a simple cocktail made up of Prosecco, soda water and Aperol, which is an Italian aperitif with notes of orange and a touch of bitterness. These cookies embrace the flavor of Aperol with fresh orange zest in the dough, along with an Aperol glaze to top them off. Serve the cookies for any occasion on their own, or pair them with a glass of Prosecco or an Aperol spritz for an orangey summer treat.

Aperol Spritz Cookie Ingredients

• Butter: The key ingredient in these buttery cookies is unsalted butter. Before you start baking, soften the butter to room temperature.
• Confectioners’ sugar: Confectioners’ sugar not only adds sweetness but also plays a role in the structure of these light and airy cookies. This type of sugar is also the base of the Aperol glaze.
• Salt: A touch of salt goes a long way in helping balance the flavor in these Aperol spritz cookies.
• Egg: Just one large room-temperature egg is added to the cookie dough. The egg binds the other ingredients and helps the cookies rise slightly while baking for a light, airy texture.
• Orange extract: Orange extract is key in this recipe. It enhances the overall taste of the cookie dough.
• Orange zest: Fresh orange zest enhances the flavors of Aperol in this orange dessert recipe. The zest is incorporated into both the cookie dough and the glaze. Zest an orange the same way you would zest a lemon: with a Microplane, a zester or a box grater.
• All-purpose flour: Finish the cookie dough with all-purpose flour. It provides a proper structure for the cookies.
• Aperol: Aperol is the inspiration for the cookies, but it isn’t incorporated into the dough. Instead, its herbaceous orange flavor is prominent in the glaze used to dress up these cookies.

Taste of Home