CHRISTMAS TREE SUGAR COOKIES

1. Ingredients

A. Sugar Cookie Dough

• 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour

• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1½ tsp vanilla extract

• ½ tsp almond extract (optional but recommended)

• 1½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

B. Royal Icing

• 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar

• 3 tbsp meringue powder

• 6 tbsp water (adjust as needed)

• Gel food coloring: green, red, white, yellow, gold

• Optional: lemon extract or vanilla extract (½ tsp)

C. Decorations

• Gold sprinkles

• Silver dragees

• Colored nonpareils

• Edible glitter

• Mini sugar pearls

• Gold star sugar toppers

2. Instructions

A. Make the Sugar Cookie Dough

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).

2. Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract; continue mixing until combined.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture gradually. Mix until a soft dough forms.

5. Divide dough in half, wrap each portion in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (important for clean cuts).

B. Shape the Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 0.6–0.8 cm thickness.

3. Use a Christmas tree cookie cutter to cut out shapes.

4. Transfer cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

5. Bake for 8–10 minutes, until edges are lightly golden.

6. Let cookies cool completely before decorating.

C. Prepare the Royal Icing

1. In a bowl, whisk meringue powder and powdered sugar.

2. Add 6 tbsp water and beat on medium speed for 2–3 minutes until smooth.

3. If icing is too thick, add 1 tsp water at a time.

4. Divide icing into multiple bowls and tint with gel colors:

   • Dark green

   • Light green

   • Red

   • Yellow

   • White

5. Pour icing into piping bags (thin tip for outlining, thicker for flooding).

D. Decorate the Cookies

1. Outline each tree with icing.

2. Flood the inside with matching colored icing; use a toothpick to smooth the surface.

3. Add sprinkles, pearls, glitter, and gold stars while icing is still wet.

4. For details (garlands, dots, snow), use contrasting-colored icing after the base layer dries.

5. Let decorated cookies sit for 6–8 hours to fully harden.

3. Storage

• Room temperature: airtight container for 1 week.

• Refrigerator: up to 2 weeks.

• Freezer: undecorated cookies freeze for 3 months; decorated cookies freeze for 1 month.