Minty Christmas Tree Cutout Cookies
Serves: 3
Isabella Feil
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
50
Spice
52
Sweetness
46
Sourness
43
mins
Prep time (avg)
3.6
Difficulty
Ingredients:
1 tsp
Baking Soda1 tsp
Salt (fine)1 tsp
Pure Vanilla Extract1 large
Egg1 cup
Granulated Sugar3 cups ounces
Sugar (confectioners')1 cup
Meringue Powder2 tbsps
Green Food ColoringDirections:
1
Special equipment: a 2-inch Christmas tree cookie cutter and a piping bag with a 1/16-inch tip, optional For the cookies: Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl
2
Mix the mint and vanilla extracts with the egg in a small bowl with a fork
3
Beat together the butter, granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on low speed until the butter has picked up the sugars, about 30 seconds
4
(If using an electric hand mixer, beat about 2 minutes
5
) Increase the speed to medium and beat, stopping halfway to scrape the bowl, until slightly creamy, about 1 minute (about 3 minutes with a hand mixer)
6
Reduce the speed to low, slowly add the egg mixture and beat until combined
7
Add the flour mixture a heaping cup at a time in 2 additions, stopping a few times to scrape the bowl and beaters
8
(If using a hand mixer, increase the speed as the dough gets thicker to keep the beaters spinning
9
) Once all the flour is just incorporated, increase the speed to medium (higher with a hand mixer) and beat until the dough is very smooth, about 2 minutes (about 5 minutes with a hand mixer)
10
Turn the dough out of the bowl and bring it together
11
Divide the dough into 2 even pieces, each about 11 ounces
12
Shape each piece into a 6-inch square and wrap in plastic wrap
13
Refrigerate the dough for at least 3 hours and up to overnight
14
Remove one of the dough squares from the refrigerator and let soften until just pliable but still cool and firm, about 15 minutes
15
Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F
16
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment
17
Dust a piece of parchment with flour
18
Dust the dough square with flour and roll it out on the parchment to a thickness of about 1/4 inch
19
Lift the dough occasionally by sliding a metal spatula or bench scraper underneath to make sure it isn't sticking to the parchment
20
Cut out Christmas trees with a 2-inch cutter as close together as possible and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, leaving 1 inch between the trees
21
Gather together the scraps and roll and cut more cookies
22
Chill the cookies on the baking sheets in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking
23
Bake, rotating the baking sheets from front to back and top to bottom halfway through, until the cookies are light golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes
24
Cool the cookies about 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes
25
Meanwhile, remove the second dough square from the refrigerator to soften until just pliable but still cool and firm, about 15 minutes
26
Repeat the rolling, cutting, chilling and baking procedures with the second dough square
27
For the green royal icing: Combine the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder in a large bowl
28
Add 3 tablespoons water and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the frosting thickens
29
The icing should be pure white and thick but not fluffy and bubbly
30
(If the frosting is overbeaten, it will get aerated, which makes it harder to work with
31
If this happens, let the frosting sit for a bit to settle, then use a rubber spatula to vigorously beat and smooth out the icing
32
) Add the green and red food coloring and beat until evenly distributed and the color is a deep hunter green
33
Put the icing in a resealable plastic bag and snip the corner to make a tiny opening (or put the icing in a piping bag with a 1/16-inch tip)
34
To decorate: Pipe a dot of icing onto the top point of each tree
35
Stick a chocolate nonpareil candy on each dot
36
Pipe the icing onto the cookies in zigzags to make a tree design
37
Sprinkle white nonpareils around the icing as snow
38
Let the icing set at room temperature, at least 1 hour