Description
Create a festive Cookie Christmas Tree with spiced buttery cookies and delicate royal icing decorations. This charming holiday treat features soft ginger and cinnamon-infused cookies that are expertly cut, baked, and decorated with smooth royal icing to form a beautiful edible tree perfect for celebrating the season.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies
- 110 g unsalted butter, soft at room temperature
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp 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)
For the Royal Icing (Option 2)
- 150 g icing sugar
- 1 tbsp meringue powder
- Water (as needed)
Instructions
- Prepare the Cookie Dough: Use a whisk to beat the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and salt together until creamy. Add the egg and mix until fully incorporated. Stir in the vanilla extract, ginger powder, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves, mixing to combine.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Mix the all-purpose flour and baking powder together, then add to the wet ingredients. Use a spatula to combine, then gently knead by hand until the dough forms a cohesive ball. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Roll Out and Cut Cookies: If dough has chilled longer than 30 minutes, let it rest briefly at room temperature to soften. On a floured surface, roll dough to a thickness of 2-3 mm. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes in ascending sizes (13, 11, 9, 7, 5, 4 cm) making 3 cookies per size plus a few extras for the tip and eating. Carefully lift cookies with a thin spatula and place on a non-stick baking tray or one lined with parchment paper.
- Bake the Cookies: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake cookies for 12 minutes or until edges are slightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before decorating to prevent melting of royal icing.
- Prepare Royal Icing (Option 1): Place egg whites in a bowl and sift icing sugar over. Beat until combined, then adjust texture by adding water or lemon juice a little at a time until icing holds shape but is easy to pipe.
- Prepare Royal Icing (Option 2): Mix icing sugar with meringue powder, then add water gradually to achieve a thick paste suitable for piping. Adjust consistency to prevent spreading or hardness.
- Decorate the Cookies: If not using immediately, cover icing surface with wet kitchen paper to prevent drying. Assess and adjust icing consistency again before decorating, especially if adding food coloring which thins icing. Fill a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle. Pipe icing slowly with the tip held about 3 mm above the cookie to form clean lines and dots, allowing some areas to dry for 5 minutes to prevent blending. Use a toothpick for corrections and smoothing.
- Assemble the Tree: Let decorated cookies dry for 10 minutes. Stick cookies together using small dollops of royal icing to build the tree from largest to smallest. Allow assembled tree to dry undisturbed for 30 minutes.
- Add Snowy Effect: Optionally dust the finished tree lightly with icing sugar to mimic snow.
Notes
- Use a thin metal spatula to carefully lift cookies to avoid breaking.
- If dough is too hard after refrigerating, allow it to warm slightly to prevent cracking when rolling.
- To make royal icing smoother, always sift icing sugar before mixing.
- Food coloring thins royal icing, so adjust texture after adding color.
- Do not overdecorate the cookies as details may become less visible once assembled.
- Allow assembled tree to dry fully before moving to avoid damage.
- Use pasteurized egg whites or powder to ensure safety when consuming raw egg products.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tree
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
