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Christmas Tree Cookies

These holly jolly trees are sure to catch everyone's attention. Iced with creamy frosting and dusted with sparkly colored sugars, each of the 3-D cookie trees is as delicious as it is beautiful!—Taste of Home Test Kitchen

18-36 ServingsPrep: 1-1/2 hours Bake: 10 min. + cooling

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Green gel or paste food coloring
FROSTING:
4-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup warm water
3 tablespoons meringue powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Green gel or paste food coloring
Assorted decorating sprinkles and white edible glitter

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add
eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in
vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed
mixture and mix well.
Divide dough in half. Tint half of the dough green; knead well to
distribute color evenly. Leave remaining dough white. Cover and
refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.

2 of 3

Christmas Tree Cookies (continued)

Directions (continued)

On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion of dough to
1/8-in. thickness. Use tree-shaped cookie cutters with identical
shapes, measuring 2-1/2 in., 3 in., 4 in. and 4-1/2 in. Cut out an
even number of cookies with each size cookie cutter.
Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for
8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately cut half of each
size tree cookies in half from top to bottom. If tree cookie cutters
have trunks, trim trunks off trees, creating a flat base. Remove to
wire racks to cool.
For frosting, in a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar,
water, meringue powder, vanilla and cream of tartar. Beat on high
speed for 8-10 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Divide frosting in
half. Tint half of the frosting green; leave remaining frosting
white. Cover frosting with damp paper towels or plastic wrap between
uses.
To make four-sided garland trees (on top in photo at left): Cut a
small hole in the corner of a pastry or resealable plastic bag;
insert round pastry tip #5. Fill with green or white frosting to
match the tree you are decorating. Pipe a line of frosting along the
cut edge of one of the halved cookies (see Photo 1); press frosted
edge along center of a matching whole cookie. Repeat. Let dry until
firm.
Stand up partially assembled trees. Attach one matching cookie half
to the opposite side of the tree by piping frosting along the center
of the whole cookie (see Photo 2). Let dry completely.
Using another pastry or resealable plastic bag, medium star pastry
tip #21 and either white or green frosting, pipe garlands around
sides of trees. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Let dry
completely.
To make fuller trees (top right and lower left in photo at left):
Assemble trees as described for four-sided garland trees, using
white or green cookies. Using matching colored frosting, attach four
cookie halves, one size smaller than assembled tree cookies. Let
trees dry completely. Decorate using either the garland or
snow-tipped technique. Dry completely.
To make snow-tipped trees (at lower left in photo at left): Assemble
trees as described for fuller trees using green cookies. Using
another pastry or resealable plastic bag, large round pastry tip #8
and white frosting, pipe snow on tips of branches. Sprinkle with
edible glitter. Let dry completely.
To make glazed trees (at lower right in photo at left): In a small
bowl, thin 1 cup green frosting with 2-3 tablespoons water until

3 of 3

Christmas Tree Cookies (continued)

Directions (continued)

frosting reaches pourable consistency. Place matching pairs of whole
and halved cookies on a wire rack over waxed paper. Pour icing over
cookies; spread with a metal spatula to completely cover top and
sides of cookies. Let dry completely. Assemble, using garland tree
method; let dry. Decorate as desired. Yield: 6 dozen cookies (or
18-36 cookie trees, depending on fullness of trees).

Editor's Note: Meringue powder and edible glitter are available from Wilton Industries. Call 1-800/794-5866 or visit www.wilton.com.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 181 calories, 5 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 25 mg cholesterol, 85 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 2 g protein.