Hey there, holiday lovers!
Are you in the festive spirit yet? If not, I’ve got just the thing to get you feeling merry!
Today, I’m sharing a fun and easy recipe for Christmas cookies shaped like little Christmas trees.
They’re cute, delicious, and perfect for sharing with family and friends.
Let’s spread some holiday cheer one cookie at a time!
| Preparation Time | 20-30 minutes |
| Cooking Time | 20-30 minutes |
| Total Time | 40-60 minutes |
| Level of Difficulty | Medium |
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup softened salted butter (I like Kerrygold salted butter for this)
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg (at room temperature for better emulsion)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- green food dye (I use Wilton gel food coloring for vibrant color)
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar (sifted to remove lumps)
- sprinkles for garnish
- 1/2 cup softened salted butter
Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Dough
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla until fluffy.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder.
Combine the flour mixture with the butter mixture and beat until well blended.
Step 2: Shape the Dough into Balls
Shape the dough into three different sizes of balls.
Use a rounded 1 teaspoon of dough to make small balls.
Use 2 rounded teaspoons of dough to make medium balls.
Use 3 rounded teaspoons of dough to make large balls.
Aim to have the same number of each size, making at least 15 balls of each size.
Step 3: Prepare and Bake the Cookies
Place the small balls onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and gently flatten them with a glass.
Place the medium balls on another baking sheet and press them down gently.
Do the same with the large balls on a separate baking sheet.
Bake until the bottoms are just golden:
- Small cookies: 4-6 minutes
- Medium cookies: 6-8 minutes
- Large cookies: 8-10 minutes
Remove the cookies from the baking sheets and allow them to cool completely on wire racks.
Step 4: Prepare the Frosting
While the cookies are cooling, prepare the frosting.
In a medium bowl, beat together powdered sugar and butter until well creamed.
Then beat in the milk and vanilla.
If desired, add food coloring and mix until combined.
Step 5: Assemble and Decorate the Cookie Trees or Snowmen
Use the frosting to “glue” together the three cookie sizes (largest on the bottom, then medium, then smallest) to create a Christmas tree or snowman shape.
Pipe or spread frosting onto the top of the largest cookie, then place the medium cookie on top.
Pipe or spread frosting on the top of the medium cookie, then place the smallest cookie on top.
Continue decorating with the icing as desired.
