Christmas Tree Cookies
Buttery sugar cookies shaped like Christmas trees and decorated with green royal icing and white ornament details. Perfect for holiday gatherings and cookie exchanges. Tested 9+ times for bakery-perfect results!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 42 minutes
- Yield: 18 cookies
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
4 cups all-purpose flour (480g)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter (226g), room temperature
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar (250g)
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons almond extract
Royal Icing
3 egg whites
4 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar (450g), sifted
Green gel food color
1–2 teaspoons water for thinning
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Sift flour and salt together. Set aside.
3. Beat butter and sugar on medium speed for 2–3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time, then mix in almond extract.
5. Add flour mixture on low speed just until dough forms and pulls from sides of the bowl.
6. Flatten dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
7. Roll chilled dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out Christmas tree shapes.
8. Place cookies on prepared sheets and bake for 12 minutes, until edges are lightly golden.
9. Cool cookies on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
10. Beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar; beat 5–7 minutes until stiff peaks form.
11. Divide icing in half. Keep one white, color the other green. Reserve 1/4 of each for outlining; thin the rest with 1–2 tsp water.
12. Pipe thick green icing around cookie edges to outline.
13. Flood interiors with thinned green icing and let dry 4–6 hours.
14. Decorate with white icing circles and details. Let dry another 4–6 hours before storing.
Notes
Storage: Keep decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days or refrigerate up to 1 week.
Make-Ahead: Bake cookies ahead and decorate later. Dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.
Tips:
• Don’t skip chilling—cookies will spread.
• Room temperature butter is essential for smooth texture.
• Allow icing to dry fully between layers.
• Use gel food coloring, not liquid.
Substitutions:
• No superfine sugar? Pulse granulated sugar briefly in a food processor.
• For nut-free version, replace almond extract with 1 tbsp vanilla extract.
Find it online: https://pinchofwarmthbakes.com/christmas-tree-cookies/