Description
Delight in the festive spirit with this beautifully crafted Cookie Christmas Tree recipe. Soft spiced cookies are baked to golden perfection and decorated with royal icing to create a stunning edible centerpiece perfect for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
For the cookies
- 110 g unsalted butter soft, at room temperature
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 250 g all-purpose flour + more to dust the surface for rolling
For the royal icing (option 1)
- 1 egg white or 30g pasteurized egg white
- 200 g icing sugar
- Water (as needed)
For the royal icing (option 2)
- 150 g icing sugar
- 1 tbsp meringue powder
- Water (as needed)
Instructions
- Prepare the cookie dough: Use a whisk to beat the butter, sugar, and salt together until creamy. Add the egg and mix until fully incorporated. Stir in vanilla extract and spices, then fold in flour and baking powder with a spatula. Knead lightly by hand until dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Roll and cut cookies: Allow dough to come to room temperature if needed to prevent cracking. Roll out dough on a floured surface to 2-3 mm thickness. Use cookie cutters of various sizes (13, 11, 9, 7, 5, 4 cm) to cut 3 cookies per size, plus extra small ones for the tip and eating.
- Bake the cookies: Transfer cookies onto a non-stick baking tray or one lined with baking paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 12 minutes or until slightly golden. Cool completely before decorating.
- Make royal icing option 1: In a bowl, combine egg whites with icing sugar sifted through a sieve. Beat until smooth and adjust consistency with water or lemon juice so it doesn’t spread too much but is easy to pipe.
- Make royal icing option 2: Mix icing sugar with meringue powder and gradually add water until a thick paste forms. Adjust consistency as needed to achieve a pipeable texture that holds shape without spreading excessively.
- Decorate the cookies: Cover icing with damp kitchen paper if not using immediately. Place royal icing into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Outline cookies leaving a 3 mm edge, then add decorative dots once the outline is set (about 5 minutes). Use a toothpick to refine lines and smooth textures.
- Assemble the tree: Allow decorated cookies to dry for 10 minutes. Stack cookies from largest to smallest, using small dollops of royal icing as glue. Let assembled tree dry for 30 minutes before moving or handling.
- Add final touches: For a snowy effect, dust the tree lightly with icing sugar before serving.
Notes
- Ensure dough is not too cold when rolling to prevent cracking.
- Use pasteurized egg whites for safer consumption in royal icing.
- If icing becomes too stiff, thin with a few drops of water or lemon juice; if too runny, add more icing sugar.
- Use a fine piping nozzle for detailed decoration.
- Let individual decorations dry completely before assembling to maintain structure.
- Store assembled cookie tree in a cool, dry place to preserve texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie christmas tree
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 40 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 65 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
