There’s something magical about creating a centerpiece that’s both delicious and charming, right? This Festive Cookie Christmas Tree Recipe is just that — a sweet, spiced cookie masterpiece that doubles as holiday décor. Trust me, it’s the kind of recipe that brings smiles before you even take a bite.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
From the moment I first made this Festive Cookie Christmas Tree Recipe, I was hooked. It’s not just about baking cookies, it’s about building a festive tradition. You’ll get to create something fun, eye-catching, and utterly tasty all at once.
- Delightful Presentation: Your holiday table gets an instant upgrade with a cookie tree that looks as good as it tastes.
- Perfect Spices: Warm ginger, cinnamon, and a hint of cloves make these cookies irresistibly cozy.
- Fun Assembly: I love how putting the tree together feels like crafting with delicious building blocks.
- Customizable Decorating: You control how ornate or simple your royal icing designs get, making it your creative outlet!
Ingredients & Why They Work
This cookie dough recipe blends spices and sweetness perfectly, giving each cookie a deliciously comforting flavor. The royal icing options let you choose what works best — from fresher egg whites to shelf-stable meringue powder, catering to your kitchen style.
- Unsalted butter: Using butter at room temperature is key to creamy dough and tender cookies.
- Granulated sugar: Adds just the right sweetness and helps with the crisp texture.
- Egg: Binds everything together, bringing structure to the dough.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the warm spice notes for a richer flavor.
- Ginger powder: The star spice that brings festive warmth and a little zing.
- Ground cinnamon: Pairs beautifully with ginger for that classic holiday spice blend.
- Ground cloves: A little goes a long way adding depth and aroma to the cookies.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and spices, making flavors pop.
- Baking powder: Helps the cookies rise just enough for a light bite.
- All-purpose flour: The base that gives structure; dust with extra for easy rolling.
- Icing sugar: For smooth and sweet royal icing that holds decoration perfectly.
- Egg white or meringue powder: These make the royal icing firm up nicely and dry to a beautiful shine.
- Water: Adjusts the icing consistency, so you get the perfect flow for piping.
Make It Your Way
Every year, I like to tweak my Festive Cookie Christmas Tree Recipe a bit—sometimes adding chopped nuts for crunch, or swapping in a pinch of nutmeg to spice things up. The best part? This recipe is so forgiving, it welcomes your own spin.
- Variation: One year, I replaced half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a nuttier flavor and it was a hit with my family.
- Dietary swap: You can experiment with vegan butter and aquafaba for the royal icing, though I recommend testing consistency as it can vary.
- Seasonal twist: Try swapping spices – like adding orange zest or cardamom – for a fresh holiday flair.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Festive Cookie Christmas Tree Recipe
Step 1: Creaming the Butter and Sugar
Start by whisking the softened butter, sugar, and salt together until everything turns nice and creamy. I like to use my stand mixer here because it’s faster, but a hand whisk works just fine if you’re patient. This step is crucial—creamy butter means tender cookies with a great texture.
Step 2: Adding the Egg and Spices
Mix in the egg thoroughly, then stir in the vanilla and your fragrant trio of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. The spices really make these cookies sing! Give everything a good mix so the flavors marry beautifully.
Step 3: Incorporating Flour and Baking Powder
Switch to a spatula and fold in the flour and baking powder gradually. Once the spatula can’t quite keep up, gently knead the dough with your hands until it forms a smooth ball. Cover the dough and chill it in the fridge for a half hour. Patience pays off here—the chill helps your dough roll out easier without cracking.
Step 4: Rolling and Cutting the Cookies
Roll the dough out to 2-3mm thickness on a well-floured surface. Use cookie cutters in graduated sizes—my favorites are 13, 11, 9, 7, 5, and 4 cm—to create layers of your cookie tree. I always make a few extra small stars or shapes for the tree’s tip and some bonus snacking.
Step 5: Baking
Carefully transfer cut cookies with a thin metal spatula to a lined or non-stick baking tray. Bake at 180°C/350°F for about 8-12 minutes until they’re just golden on the edges. Watch closely—the last few minutes can go fast. Let them cool fully before moving on; icing won’t set well on warm cookies.
Step 6: Making the Royal Icing
For classic royal icing, beat the egg whites (or use pasteurized if you prefer) with icing sugar until thick but still spreadable. Adjust by adding just a little water or more sugar to get the perfect flow for piping. Use a small nozzle on your piping bag to achieve neat lines—this little trick always helped me create cleaner decorations.
Step 7: Decorating and Assembling the Tree
I start by piping a neat outline around each cookie and wait a few minutes so the icing sets a bit. Then, I dot around the edges to look like little baubles or snowflakes, always leaving enough space so the tree’s shape shines through without getting too busy. Stick the cookies together with dollops of icing, layer by layer, and let the whole tree dry for about 30 minutes before moving it.
Step 8: The Finishing Touch
For a snowy winter effect, dust your tree lightly with icing sugar just before serving. It’s like adding a sprinkle of holiday magic!
Top Tip
These are the little things I learned that make this Festive Cookie Christmas Tree Recipe a stress-free joy to bake year after year.
- Room Temperature Butter: Make sure your butter is soft but not melting—it creams better and helps the dough come together smoother.
- Patience with Dough Chilling: If you roll out the dough too cold, it might crack; too warm, and it’s sticky—just right gives you smooth, even cookies.
- Piping Bag Nozzle: Using a tiny round tip really helps control your royal icing lines for neat decorating, much better than snipping the bag's tip.
- Don’t Overdecorate: Keeping decorations simple lets your cookie shapes and spice notes stand out without overwhelming the tree.
How to Serve Festive Cookie Christmas Tree Recipe
Garnishes
I love to finish the cookie tree with a light dusting of icing sugar for that snowy look. Sometimes, I sprinkle a few colorful nonpareils or edible glitter over the dots of icing to mimic ornaments—simple but festive!
Side Dishes
Pair your cookie tree with a warm cup of spiced tea or hot cocoa. These warm drinks complement the ginger and cinnamon perfectly, making for a cozy treat session.
Creative Ways to Present
One year, I set the cookie tree on a decorative cake stand surrounded by fresh pine sprigs and cranberries. It looked so festive and made the tree the star of our holiday dessert table. You can also wrap it gently in cellophane for gifting—it’s a gifting idea that everyone raves about!
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
I store leftover cookies layered between parchment paper in an airtight container at room temperature. This keeps them crisp for up to a week. Just make sure they’re completely dry before storing to avoid sogginess.
Freezing
If I’m not planning to eat them right away, I freeze the un-iced cookies in a sealed bag. When you want to decorate, thaw and cool completely before icing. This way, you can bake in batches ahead of time without stress.
Reheating
I usually don’t reheat these cookies since they’re best crisp and fresh, but if you want to warm them slightly, a few seconds in the microwave or a very brief minute at 150°C/300°F in the oven works to bring back a bit of that fresh-baked coziness without making them soft.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes! You can use pasteurized egg whites or meringue powder as a safe alternative. Both options work well and create that perfect firm yet smooth icing for decorating your Festive Cookie Christmas Tree Recipe.
Aim for 2-3mm thickness to ensure your cookies bake evenly and stay sturdy enough to stack during assembly. Thinner dough can get too crisp and break, while thicker dough takes longer to bake and may lose that delicate texture.
Absolutely! The dough can be made up to 24 hours in advance and kept refrigerated. When ready, just let it sit at room temperature a few minutes to soften before rolling out for best results.
Use thick royal icing as glue between each cookie layer. Pipe a small dollop and press gently to stick the cookies together. Let the assembled tree dry for at least 30 minutes before moving it so it holds its shape well.
Final Thoughts
This Festive Cookie Christmas Tree Recipe has become a cozy holiday ritual for me and my loved ones. From mixing the spice-laden dough to building the tree and sharing it over warm drinks, it’s a sweet way to capture the season’s joy. I can’t wait for you to try it—it’s like crafting a little edible holiday magic.
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Festive Cookie Christmas Tree Recipe
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 1 cookie christmas tree
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: European
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Create a festive Cookie Christmas Tree with these spiced cookies decorated with smooth royal icing. This recipe guides you through making tender gingerbread-style cookies, a royal icing for decorating, and assembling the cookies into a charming holiday centerpiece that's perfect for celebrating the season.
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 110 g unsalted butter, soft, at room temperature
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 250 g all-purpose flour + more to dust the surface for rolling
For the Royal Icing Option 1
- 1 egg white or 30 g pasteurized egg white
- 200 g icing sugar
- Water (as needed to adjust consistency)
For the Royal Icing Option 2
- 150 g icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon meringue powder
- Water (as needed to adjust consistency)
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. Then add the vanilla extract and spices, mixing well again.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Incorporate the flour and baking powder using a spatula. When mixing becomes difficult, knead slightly with your hands until combined.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up for easier rolling.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: Allow the dough to come to room temperature if chilled longer than 30 minutes. Roll it out on a floured surface to 2–3 mm thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut various sizes, including sizes from 13 cm to 4 cm for layering and decoration.
- Arrange and Bake: Use a thin metal spatula to 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 edges are slightly golden.
- Cool Cookies: Let cookies cool completely on a wire rack before decorating to prevent royal icing from melting.
- Make Royal Icing Option 1: Beat egg whites with sifted icing sugar until combined. Adjust the consistency by adding a few drops of water or lemon juice if too hard, or more icing sugar if too loose, until icing holds shape without spreading excessively.
- Make Royal Icing Option 2: Mix icing sugar with meringue powder, adding water gradually to create a thick paste. Check texture as above, adjusting with additional water or icing sugar as needed.
- Prepare Icing for Decorating: Cover unused icing immediately with two layers of wet kitchen paper to prevent drying. Transfer icing to a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle for precise decorating.
- Decorate Cookies: Pipe a border line about 3 mm from the edges of each cookie. After letting the line dry for 5 minutes, add decorative dots around the perimeter. Use a toothpick to smooth and adjust icing as needed.
- Assemble the Christmas Tree: Let the decorated cookies dry for 10 minutes, then assemble by stacking and adhering the cookies with small dollops of royal icing. Allow the full tree assembly to dry for 30 minutes before moving.
- Add Snowy Effect: Optionally, dust the assembled cookie tree with icing sugar to resemble snow for a festive touch.
Notes
- If the dough is too cold or brittle, allow it to warm briefly to prevent cracking during rolling.
- Use a thin metal spatula for easier transferring of delicate cookies to prevent breakage.
- Adjust royal icing consistency carefully for best piping results—too runny icing will spread, too thick will be hard to pipe.
- Allow royal icing details to dry between steps to avoid colors and shapes blending.
- Store assembled cookie tree in a cool, dry place to maintain texture and decoration.
- Cookies can be made a day ahead and stored airtight before decorating to save time.
- Pasteurized egg whites are recommended for safety if using raw egg in icing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 assembled cookie tree
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
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