Snowy Tree Cookies Recipe

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To make these adorable 3-D trees, you'll need star-shaped cookie cutters in six different sizes, like this set from amazon . Be sure the cutouts are thoroughly chilled before going in the oven so they don't spread too much while baking. We think Santa would enjoy these cookies , but they will also look great on the sideboard during the holidays.

Ivy Odom

Published on November 10, 2017

Christmas Bulb Sugar Cookies — Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Active Time:

55 mins

Chill Time:

2 hrs

Total Time:

4 hrs 15 mins

Yield:

1 dozen

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon green food coloring gel, plus more if necessary to reach desired shade of green
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon whole milk
White Disco Dust, for topping (optional)

Directions

Beat unsalted butter with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add 3⁄4 cup of the powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; add egg yolk, and beat just until blended. Add vanilla and food coloring gel; beat just until combined. Gradually add flour, beating until blended, about 1 minute.
Turn dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide dough in half, and pat each half into a 5-inch-wide disk. Wrap each dough disk in plastic wrap; chill 2 hours or up to 5 days.
Unwrap 1 dough disk, and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough to about 3⁄16-inch thickness (between 1⁄8 inch and 1⁄4 inch thick). Repeat with second dough disk. Using each of 6 star-shaped cutters (1 inch, 1 1⁄4 inches, 1 1⁄2 inches, 2 inches, 2 1⁄4 inches, and 2 1⁄2 inches), cut 12 cookies of each size from dough. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets, grouping cookies of same size together. Chill cookies 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake cookies in batches in preheated oven until edges are very light golden and centers are pale, 8 to 10 minutes for smaller cookies and 10 to 12 minutes for larger cookies. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
Stir together remaining 3⁄4 cup powdered sugar and whole milk in a small bowl. Place icing in a piping bag or large ziplock plastic freezer bag with 1 corner cut to form a piping tip. Pipe icing in thin, decorative lines on edges of cooled cookies. Working with 1 cookie tree at a time, pipe a small amount of icing in the center of each cookie, and layer cookies in stacks of 6 with the largest cookie on bottom and smallest on top. Sprinkle trees with Disco Dust, if desired. Let stand until icing dries, about 10 minutes.