Christmas Tree Cookies From One Reliable Dough

• One dough, many finishes (10 minutes, $): Divide the baked trees among green royal icing, plain glaze, sanding sugar, and sprinkles. The dough itself stays unchanged, so a varied cookie tray does not require separate batches, extra bowls, or specialty flavorings.
• Defined shapes without complicated timing (1 hour 40 minutes total, $): A short chill firms the dough before rolling, and a moderate oven helps the trees keep their branches readable. Bake one test cookie first; its spread tells you whether the remaining dough needs another quick chill.

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (227 g)
• 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
• 1 large egg (50 g)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (8 g)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (360 g)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (4 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (3 g)
• 2 cups powdered sugar (240 g)
• 3 tablespoons milk (45 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (2 g)
• 1 tablespoon green food coloring and 2 tablespoons assorted sprinkles, optional (20 g)

Ingredient notes

• All-purpose flour gives these cookies a dependable balance of tenderness and structure. Spoon it into the measuring cup, level it, or use the listed weight; packed flour can leave the dough dry and harder to roll.
• Use softened unsalted butter that yields when pressed but is not shiny or melted. Very warm butter makes the dough loose, while cool butter will not cream smoothly with the sugar during the first minute.
• Granulated sugar keeps the flavor clean and the baked edges lightly crisp. Do not swap in brown sugar for the full amount; its moisture and molasses flavor change both the color and the spread.
• One large egg binds the dough and makes it easier to roll into an even sheet. Choose clear vanilla if you want pale cookies under white icing, or regular vanilla for the same texture and a warmer tint.
• Baking powder provides a small lift without turning the trees cakey. Fine salt sharpens the vanilla flavor; if using salted butter, reduce the added salt to a scant quarter teaspoon.

1. 1Cream butter and sugar

   Beat softened butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed for about two minutes, stopping once to scrape the bowl. Add egg and vanilla, then beat just until smooth. The mixture should look creamy and unified, not airy enough to resemble frosting.

2. 2Whisk dry ingredients

   Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl until evenly combined. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture in two additions on low speed. Stop when no dry streaks remain. Finish with a spatula rather than continuing to beat, which can make the dough tough.

3. 3Chill the dough

   Gather the dough into two flat disks, wrap them, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Flattening, rather than chilling one thick ball, makes the dough cool evenly and roll sooner. Clear a shelf first so the disks sit level and are easy to retrieve.

   

4. 4Roll and cut

   Heat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment. Roll one disk on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick, turning it after each pass. Cut trees close together, transfer them with a thin spatula, then gather and reroll the scraps once.

   

5. 5Bake and cool

   Bake one sheet at a time for 9 to 11 minutes, until the surfaces look dry and the edges are barely blond. Leave the cookies on the pan for five minutes, then move them to a rack. Cool completely before decorating so icing stays neat.

6. 6Decorate in batches

   Stir powdered sugar with milk and vanilla until thick but spreadable, then tint portions as desired. Pipe or spread icing over completely cool cookies. Add sprinkles immediately, working in small groups, then let the decorated trees stand undisturbed until the icing feels firm.

• Roll dough between parchment if your counter runs warm. Chill the rolled sheet for 10 minutes before cutting; this reduces distortion during transfer and avoids extra flour. Use flour only when sticking begins, rather than blanketing the dough before it needs help.
• Keep cut cookies the same thickness by using rolling guides or two stacked paint sticks beside the dough. Consistent thickness matters more than perfect tree outlines, because it lets every cookie finish baking on the same schedule.
• Set a timer for the five-minute pan rest and another for cooling. Moving trees too early can bend the branches, while icing warm cookies produces drips that cover the clean cut edges you worked to preserve.

Arrange the cookies on a large flat platter instead of stacking them in a deep bowl; the branches stay visible and the icing gets less crowded. Plan three cookies per guest for a dessert table, or one wrapped tree per place setting. Add a bowl of clementines and a carafe of milk or coffee nearby. Setup takes 10 minutes and costs about $ to $$ beyond the cookie ingredients, depending on packaging and garnishes.