Cookie Tree
User Reviews
5
Cookie Tree
Description
This Cookie Tree recipe focuses on making buttery, vanilla-scented cookies using a dough enriched with a blend of butter, sugar, eggs, all-purpose flour, and cornstarch for a tender texture. The dough is chilled to firm up for precise star shape cutting. Baking at 375°F yields crisp edges and a slightly firm center.
The buttercream uses unsalted butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream whipped to a fluffy consistency, which is tinted as desired. The cooled cookies are stacked and decorated with the buttercream to form a tree shape. Additional edible decorations like gold leaf or candies enhance the design.
This cookie tree offers both a decorative holiday treat and a batch of classic sugar cookies. It can be served as festive cookies individually or assembled as a dessert centerpiece.
Chill dough for about 20-30 minutes until firm but not frozen for easy cutting. Baking times vary by cookie size, especially for large stars, so bake them on separate sheets to control doneness. Use high-quality vanilla for best flavor impact. If using colored buttercream, allow it to set before final decoration to maintain shape.
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS:
- 1.5 cups butter 339g, Room temp, unsalted
- 1.5 cups granulated sugar 300g
- 3 egg
- 6 cups all-purpose flour 720g
- 1 cup cornstarch 125g
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt 7g
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract 15mL
For the Buttercream:
- 1 tbsp vanilla 15mL
- 1 lb confectioners sugar 454g
- 1 cup unsalted butter 225g, room temperature
- 3 tbsp heavy whipping cream 45mL, add as needed
For the Assembly:
- ½ cup confectioners sugar 60g
- 1 tbsp milk 15mL, whole
- 4 inch edible gold leaf sheet
- paint brush medium
Instructions
For the Cookies:
- Preheat to 375F.
- Cream butter and sugar together.
- Add eggs one at a time then the vanilla extract while mixing on low, scrape the bowl down.
- On low, mix in flour, cornstarch and salt.
- Separate dough into two parts. Wrap in plastic and chill for about an hour.
- Roll out between two pieces of parchment paper.
- Roll to between ½ and 1/4 inch thickness.
- With a cookie cutter, cut out star shapes.
- Place stars on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for about 12 minutes.
- Allow cookies to cool on their baking sheet until room temperature.
For the Buttercream:
- Cream the butter If you're using a stand mixer you'll want the paddle attachment for this part.
- Sift in half the confectioner’s sugar and mix on low. Scrape the bowl down and sift in the remaining sugar then mix once more.
- Add the vanilla and then the cream a tablespoon at a time. Beat until you have an even, fluffy consistency. Mix in food coloring until you have the desired color.
- Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a size 30 star tip.
For the Assembly:
- Use the buttercream as glue between each layer.
- Start by piping buttercream to the bottom of a medium sized star.
- Place star in the middle of a cake stand and press.
- Alternate sizes between small and large stars to create a layered look to ascends into a tree. Save a small star for the tree topper.
- Once you’re finished stacking, pipe buttercream onto each branch.
- Add ornament decorations. I used Christmas color chocolate balls to decorate with. Dust with powdered sugar for a snowy effect.
For the Star:
- Mix milk and powdered sugar together to create a glaze.
- Paint the glaze onto the cookie using a paintbrush.
- Place a sheet of gold leaf over the the cookie.
- Flatten with brush and smooth out.
- Pipe buttercream to the top star.
- Place gold star as the tree topper.
Notes
- Chill cookie dough for about 20-30 minutes until firm enough to cut cleanly without losing shape.
- Bake larger star cookies separately to allow for different baking times and prevent overbaking smaller ones.
- Use a kitchen scale to measure flour accurately or fluff and level if measuring by volume to avoid dense cookies.
- Scrape down the mixing bowl frequently to ensure even mixing of butter and flour.
- Choose high-quality vanilla extract for richer flavor in both dough and buttercream.
- Allow the assembled buttercream to set before adding decorations to maintain structure.
- If mini chocolate spheres for decorations aren't available, substitute with small candies like mini M&Ms or crushed candy canes.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 160 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 38g | |
| Calories | 160kcal | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 25g | 8% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 2.5g | 13% |
| Cholesterol | 10mg | 3% |
| Sodium | 105mg | 4% |
| Sugar | 16g | 32% |
| Vitamin A | 200IU | 4% |
| Iron | 0.7mg | 4% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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