Description
Festive Christmas tree cookies bring holiday cheer with delightful green sugar cookies decorated like miniature evergreens. Sweet sprinkles and royal icing create magical winter wonderland treats perfect for sharing with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients (Flour and Sugar):
- 2 ¾ cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
Binding and Flavoring Ingredients:
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Additional Dry Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Royal Icing Ingredients:
- 3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 large egg whites or 3 tablespoons meringue powder + 6 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Green gel food coloring
Decoration Ingredients:
- Assorted sprinkles
- Edible glitter
- Nonpareils
- Star-shaped candies or sprinkles for tree toppers
Instructions
- Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing vessel, whisking thoroughly to ensure even distribution of dry ingredients.
- Cream butter and sugar in a spacious bowl, using an electric mixer to achieve a pillowy, pale texture that becomes significantly lighter and more voluminous.
- Introduce egg and flavor extracts (vanilla and optional almond) into the butter mixture, blending until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring gently until a cohesive dough forms without overmixing.
- Wrap the freshly prepared dough in plastic film and refrigerate for approximately one hour to allow ingredients to meld and dough to firm up.
- Preheat the oven and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners to prevent sticking.
- Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to an even thickness, using tree-shaped cookie cutters to create festive winter-themed shapes.
- Transfer delicate cookie cutouts onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them evenly to allow proper heat circulation.
- Bake in the preheated oven until edges turn a delicate golden brown, indicating perfect crisp texture.
- Remove cookies from oven and allow them to cool completely on wire racks before decorating or serving.
Notes
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour before rolling to prevent spreading and maintain the crisp tree shape during baking.
- Use powdered sugar instead of flour when rolling out the dough to keep the cookies tender and prevent a dry, floury texture.
- For gluten-free variations, substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend to accommodate dietary restrictions.
- Decorate with royal icing or colored sugar sprinkles to create festive tree designs that add extra holiday cheer to these delightful cookies.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 174
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 35 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 22 mg