therecipecritic
Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
If you're wanting a dessert that is both festive and delicious, look no further! These Christmas tree sugar cookies will shine at any holiday party!
👥 18 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 1h 8m⏳ Prep: 1h🔥 Cook: 8 min👤 The Recipe Critic📖 therecipecritic
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●baking sheet
- ●oven
- ●bowl
- ●whisk
- ●pan
📝 Preparation Steps
1
prep
2
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
3
mix
4
In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon baking powder. Set aside.
all-purpose flour2 cups
5
whisk
6
In another medium bowl, whisk together the ½ cup softened unsalted butter and ⅔ cup granulated sugar for ⏱️ 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the 2 egg yolks, 2 tablespoons sour cream, 1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon lemon extract and mix until just combined.
egg yolks2sour cream2 tablespoonslemon extract (optional)1 teaspoon
7
mix
8
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just barely combined.
9
roll
10
Split the dough into 2-3 pieces and roll them one at a time on a lightly floured surface until they are ¼ inch thick. Use a Christmas tree cookie cutter (or alternative shapes!) to cut out the cookies.
11
cut
12
Press the scraps together and set them aside to rest for about ⏱️ 5 minutes. Then re-roll the scraps and cut more cookies until all the dough has been used.
13
place
14
Place the cookies on the parchment-lined cookie sheets, leaving 1 ½ inches between them.
15
bake
16
Bake the cookies for ⏱️ 7-8 minutes, rotating the pan in the oven after ⏱️ 4 minutes to ensure they bake evenly. The edges will be just set and the cookies will be very light in color and should have very minimal coloring underneath them.
17
cool
18
Let the cookies cool on the pan for ⏱️ 2 minutes for the shape to set before transferring to a cooling rack. Let the cookies cool completely before frosting.
19
Royal Icing
20
combine
21
Whisk 4 cups sifted powdered sugar with 3 tablespoons meringue powder in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer before adding 1 tablespoon light corn syrup, ½ teaspoon clear vanilla extract if desired, and about 6 or 7 tablespoons of the 8-12 tablespoons water. Slowly mix with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer until the sugar is moistened, then beat on medium-high speed for ⏱️ 2-3 minutes. It should be quite thick at this stage.
sifted powdered sugar4 cupsmeringue powder3 tablespoonslight corn syrup1 tablespoon-12 tablespoons water8
22
reserve
23
If you would like to use some of the icing to pipe more defined details that will hold their shape, reserve some of the icing in a separate bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
24
thin
25
For smooth designs, add additional water to the icing 1 or 2 teaspoons at a time until the icing drips back into the bowl and the lines of icing take about ⏱️ 10 seconds to melt back into the rest when the whisk is lifted out of the bowl. If it melts back in too quickly, add a tablespoon or two of powdered sugar to thicken it up again.
26
color
27
Color the different bowls of frosting using your choice of gel food coloring. Use piping bags or dip the completely cooled cookies as desired, keeping the icing covered tightly between using colors, as it will dry and crust over quickly. Let the icing set up for several hours before stacking them gently.
Nutrition Facts
calories
247 kcal
fat Content
6 g
serving Size
1 serving
fiber Content
0.4 g
sugar Content
35 g
sodium Content
89 mg
protein Content
2 g
trans Fat Content
0.2 g
cholesterol Content
36 mg
carbohydrate Content
46 g
saturated Fat Content
4 g
unsaturated Fat Content
2.3 g
Reviews & Ratings
Share your thoughts and feedback about this recipe
Write a Review
Community Feedback
0 ReviewsLoading reviews...