Go Back

Christmas Tree Cookies

These festive cookies are a step up from your classic Tollhouse cookie! They're soft and a little chewy, flavored with nutmeg and allspice to taste just like eggnog. To get that pattern, we are using a slice and bake method. This is quick and fun, plus it yields a lot of cookies, perfect for holiday parties!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 40 cookies
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3 sticks (1 ½ cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 ¼ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cloves
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • green food coloring
Royal Icing
  • 2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons meringue powder
  • 4-5 Tablespoons water
  • red food coloring

Method
 

Make the dough
  1. In a large bowl using either a hand or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until combined and creamy. Add the eggs and beat until smooth and combined. Add the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, allspice, and salt and beat on low speed until just combined, you may have to use a spatula to combine the bottom bits.
  2. Remove a little under half of the dough and place it in a bowl and beat in a few drops of green food coloring. Set aside. Refrigerate both the green and the plain dough for 30-40 minutes.
Shape the dough
  1. See pictures and video for help on shaping if needed.
  2. On a heavily floured surface with heavily floured hands, mold half of the green dough into a 10 inch long triangular log. Do the same with the remaining dough so you are left with two triangular logs. Place them in the freezer for 3-5 minutes to firm up a tiny bit.
  3. Divide the plain non-colored dough into six pieces. Each piece will go on one side of the logs. Remove the green logs from the freezer and place back on your floured surface. brush one side if the log with a little water. Then, press one of the pieces of plain dough onto that side. The water acts like a glue here. Repeat with the remaining two sides, pinching the corners together. Repeat with the second log. Wrap both logs in cling wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Bake the cookies
  1. Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Set aside.
  2. Remove one of the logs from the refrigerator and unwrap it. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into about 1/2 inch – 3/4 inch thick cookies. You should have something like 20-25 cookies from one log. Repeat with the second log.
  3. Place the cookies on the previously prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until browned a little on the bottom and sides.
Make the icing
  1. Add the confectioners sugar, meringue powder, and 4 tablespoons of water to a large bowl. Using a hand or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip on high speed for about 2 minutes. You may need to add more water, but only add it a Tablespoon at a time. Add the red food coloring.
  2. To test if the icing is the correct thickness, when you lift the whisk from the bowl the icing should drip down and smooth out in the bowl in about 10 seconds.
  3. Add the icing to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe strings of icing on the trees, and add sprinkle "ornaments" if desired.