Description
Celebrate the holiday season with these delightful Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies topped with a smooth, easy-to-make frosting. This festive treat combines buttery, soft sugar cookies flavored with vanilla and optional almond extract, adorned with a sweet and glossy icing perfect for decorating with gel food coloring and sprinkles. Ideal for holiday baking traditions and sharing with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more as needed for rolling and work surface
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but makes the flavor outstanding)
Easy Icing
- 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (omit and replace with water for stark white icing)
- 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
- 4.5–5 Tablespoons (67–75ml) room temperature water
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: gel food coloring & sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until creamy and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and optional almond extract and mix until combined.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Slowly add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients while mixing on low speed. Mix until just combined; avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Chill the Dough: Divide the dough into two equal portions. Flatten each into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight to firm up the dough for easier rolling and cutting.
- Roll and Cut Out Cookies: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc of dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use Christmas tree-shaped cookie cutters to cut out shapes and transfer them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Repeat with the second disc.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the Icing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, light corn syrup, room temperature water, and a pinch of salt until smooth. The icing should be thick but spreadable; add more water or sugar to adjust consistency if needed. Divide and color portions with gel food coloring as desired.
- Decorate the Cookies: Once the cookies are completely cooled, use a small offset spatula or piping bag to spread or pipe the icing onto the cookies. Decorate with sprinkles or additional edible decorations as desired. Let the icing set for several hours or overnight for best results.
Notes
- For best flavor, use real vanilla extract and almond extract if using.
- Make sure the butter is softened but not melted for optimal dough texture.
- Chilling the dough before rolling prevents spreading during baking and helps maintain shape.
- For stark white icing, omit the vanilla extract and replace it with water.
- Adjust icing thickness by adding water slowly; thicker icing works better for detailed decorating, thinner icing for flooding.
- Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- This recipe is perfect for holiday cookie exchanges and gifting.
