Pantry staple behind the best Christmas cookies recipe we've ever tried

Most people have baked cookies at some point in their life. The beauty of cookies lies in their simplicity. Just a handful of ingredients and minimal baking skills required, but so much pleasure when you eat them.

But then what happens when the festive season rolls around and you want to bake something that’s just as simple as those regular cookies but looks a little bit more… special?

You bake THESE Christmas cookies.

Why these butter spritz cookies are so special

First, these Christmas cookies look different to your regular, everyday cookie. But this doesn’t mean that they’re hard to make.

With just 30 minutes prep and 15 minutes bake time, they’re just as easy as any other biscuit.

They also taste incredible, thanks to the inclusion of one special item.

The secret to our butter spritz cookies

The key ingredient that makes this Christmas cookie recipe better than any other is something you probably have in your pantry. (Your Nana definitely would have had some.)

Of course, we’re talking about sweetened condensed milk.

The sweetened condensed milk mixes with the melted butter perfectly, adds a depth of flavour that regular sugar just can’t – and it makes the cookies taste more caramelly when they’ve been baked.

Plus, because it provides sweetness, creaminess and liquid, it cuts the ingredients list in the recipe down.

How to make butter spritz cookies

The melt-and-mix method is what makes these biscuits so easy. Simply melt the butter in a saucepan on the stovetop, then stir in the sugar until it dissolves.

Leave to cool slightly, then add condensed milk and almond essence. This is what gives them that really Christmassy flavour, almost like marzipan (Nan will remember that too).

UP NEXT: The pantry staple behind this famous 4-ingredient slice

Next, add this mixture to your flour and stir until combined.

How to make your butter spritz cookies look perfect

Don’t be scared when we tell you that you need a piping bag for these biscuits. The consistency of the biscuit mixture is extremely easy to pipe, and the shape is literally a cluster of blobs (so you can afford to be messy!)

A single almond helps you create the ‘pretty’ centre of your floral bikkie – and then they’re only baked for 10 to 15 minutes! Christmas baking doesn’t get much easier than that.