These Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies are so pretty and delicious! Package them in cellophane and give them as gifts to your friends and family.
My mother-in-law gave me this recipe years ago and it’s the best sugar cookie recipe I have ever tried! Kids and adults LOVE them! They are soft, buttery and loaded with flavor. A melt in your mouth cookie that you can’t resist.
This past Halloween I posted this sugar cookie recipe, but today I am going to show you how easy it is to transform these delicious cookies into stunning, little, Christmas tree treats! What I love about these cookies, in addition to their amazing taste, is that they are easy to mix up, roll out and bake! They can be made for every holiday too! Just change up the cookie cutter.
Tools to help you make the best sugar cookies
- A Nice Pastry Board: JK Adams Ultimate Pastry Board that features 5 engraved diameter markings for the most common crust sizes and has a vertical and horizontal ruler for easy pastry measurements. In addition, it has a cleated bottom that braces against the edge of the counter to hold the board in place. It’s a great board that makes rolling out dough for crust, cookies and pastries much easier!
- Good Rolling Pin: The JK Adams Rolling Pin allows for smooth and even rolling. It’s durable and washable.
- Cookie Cutters: Don’t forget some cute cookie cutters. Buy some for all of the holidays! For this recipe use a variety of star cookie cutters. I used both of the following cutters for this recipe. Click here for the mini-stars and here for the medium, large and extra large stars.
- Food Coloring: I use the AmeriColor Soft Gel Food Coloring and the Wilton Gel Food Coloring. However, I find that the Wilton dries up more quickly and sometimes I find lumpy, little flakes in the frosting that need to be removed. Overall, AmeriColor tends to be vibrant in color and smoother in texture.
Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies-Ingredients
Flour, vegetable shortening, granulated sugar, pure vanilla extract, butter, eggs, baking powder and salt.
Icing Ingredients
- powdered sugar
- butter
- pure vanilla extract
- milk
- gel food coloring
Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies-Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Position the rack to the middle of the oven.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the butter and vegetable shortening until combined. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla extract until incorporated.
- Turn the mixer on low and add the flour mixture. Beat until fully incorporated.
- Gather dough into a disk, wrap in plastic or wax paper and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
- Take the cookie dough out of the refrigerator. Cut the disk in half and let sit at room temperature for a few minutes. This will make it easier to roll out the dough. Place the other half back in the refrigerator.
- Generously flour the board. Roll out disk to about 1/8-inch thick. Use a variety of star cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Arrange cut outs on a baking sheet 2 inches apart. For each tree, cut out three large stars. three medium stars, three small stars and two min-stars. This will give you a nice and tall tree.
- Bake, one sheet at a time, for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are just starting to turn golden brown on the bottom. Place like sized cut outs on the same sheet for even baking and cooking times. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for about 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
- Gather any left over scraps. Repeat the rolling, cutting and baking process. Once all the scraps are used repeat with the remaining dough.
Icing-Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla and milk (a little at a time) and beat until desired consistency is reached.
- Add green food coloring until desired color is reached.
- Generously frost cookies with icing. Let dry for several hours or overnight until set.
- Add decorating pearls to the top cookie if desired.
Assembling the Christmas Tree
- Once the icing has dried, place a large star cookie down on a board. Place a small dot of frosting in the middle of the star. You can also use a pipping bag if that is easier for you.
- Place the second large star on top, slightly off set.
- Continue this pattern until all your cookies are used.
- For a tall and symmetrical tree use three large stars, three medium stars, three small stars and two mini stars. Almost a dozen cookies in one tree!
- Wrap in cellophane and give as gifts to your friends and family. They also make great teacher gifts too!
Additional Christmas Treats:
Festively Pretty Raspberry Linzer Cookies
5 Ingredient Chocolate Chip Coconut Balls
Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies
Toasted Coconut Peanut Butter Balls
Classic Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles
Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
These Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies are so pretty and delicious! Package them in cellophane and give them as gifts to your friends and family.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer
- Baking sheet
- Pastry board
- Rolling Pin
- Wire racks
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups Flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Icing
- 8 oz powdered sugar
- 2 tsp butter softened
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp milk add milk a little at a time, until desired consistency is reached
- green food coloring
- decorating pearls optional, for the top star
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Position the rack to the middle of the oven.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the butter and vegetable shortening until combined. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla extract until incorporated.
- Turn the mixer on low and add the flour mixture. Beat until fully incorporated.
- Gather dough into a disk, wrap in plastic or wax paper and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
- Take the cookie dough out of the refrigerator. Cut the disk in half and let sit at room temperature for a few minutes. This will make it easier to roll out the dough. Place the other half back in the refrigerator.
- Generously flour the board. Roll out disk to about 1/8-inch thick. Use a variety of star cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Arrange cut outs on a baking sheet 2 inches apart. For each tree cut out three large, three medium, three small and two mini-stars.
- Bake, one sheet at a time, for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are just starting to turn golden brown on the bottom. Place like sized cut outs on the same sheet for even baking and cooking times. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for about 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
- Gather any leftover scraps. Repeat the rolling, cutting and baking process. Once all the scraps are used repeat with the remaining dough.
Icing
- In a small mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla and milk (a little at a time) and beat until desired consistency is reached.
- Add green gel food coloring and mix tougher until desired color is reached.
- Generously frost cookies with icing. Let dry for several hours or overnight to set.
- Add decorating pearls to the top cookie if desired.
Assembling the tree
- Once the icing has dried, place a large star cookie down on a board. Place a small dot of frosting in the middle of the star. You can also use a pipping bag if that is easier for you.
- Place the second large star on top, slightly off set. Continue this pattern until all your cookies are used. For a tall and symmetrical tree use three large stars, three medium stars, three small stars and two mini stars. Almost a dozen cookies in one tree!
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