Description
Create festive Stacked Christmas Tree Cookies featuring buttery sugar cookies layered with creamy green buttercream frosting and decorated with colorful sprinkles, perfect for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Drops green food coloring, as desired
Garnishing
- Yellow star sprinkles
- Silver and gold pearl-shaped sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line at least two baking sheets with Silpat liners or parchment paper; set aside to ensure easy cookie removal.
- Make Cookie Dough Base: In a stand mixer with paddle attachment or large bowl with electric mixer, beat softened butter on high speed until creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate all butter.
- Add Sugar and Cream: Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until fully incorporated and creamy, approximately 3 minutes.
- Incorporate Egg and Vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla extract; beat until well combined, scraping down the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet mixture and beat until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain tender cookies.
- Portion Cookie Dough Balls: Form cookie dough balls of three sizes: 1 teaspoon, 2 teaspoons, and 3 teaspoons. Aim for about 20 balls of each size, totaling roughly 60 balls.
- Bake the Cookies: Place cookie balls on prepared sheets with spacing. Bake large (3 tsp) dough balls for about 10 minutes, medium (2 tsp) for 8 minutes, and small (1 tsp) for 6 minutes or until edges are set. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Prepare Buttercream Frosting: In a clean mixing bowl, beat softened butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add Sugar Gradually: Add half the confectioners’ sugar and beat on medium speed to incorporate, scrape sides, then add remaining sugar and beat again until fully combined.
- Add Flavor and Color: Add vanilla extract and salt, beating to combine. Slowly add green food coloring a few drops at a time, mixing on medium speed until desired shade is reached.
- Pipe and Assemble Cookie Trees: Fit a piping bag with a star tip and fill with frosting. Pipe onto largest cookies, then medium cookies, and swirl atop smallest cookies to mimic tree tops. Adorn small cookies with yellow star sprinkles.
- Stack Cookies: Assemble by stacking a large cookie base, then a medium cookie, topped with a small frosted cookie, repeating until all cookies are stacked forming festive Christmas trees.
- Decorate Trees: Sprinkle the assembled cookie trees with silver and gold pearl-shaped sprinkles or any preferred holiday sprinkles for decoration.
Notes
- Baking times vary based on cookie size, oven variances, ingredient brands, and climate; watch edges to determine doneness rather than strictly following the clock.
- For best results, bake one sheet at a time on the center rack, rotating the sheet halfway through baking.
- After decorating, store cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks or at room temperature for up to 4 days to keep fresh.
- To freeze, store baked but undecorated cookies in an airtight container or zip-top bag. Thaw before frosting for best texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie tree
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 100 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
