Gingerbread Christmas Tree Cookies Recipes

GINGERBREAD TREE RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, molasses and vinegar; mix well. Combine flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and chill overnight., To prepare star pattern: Trace each star size onto waxed paper and cut out. If you would like to preserve the patterns, copy them, cover both sides with Contact paper and cut out. On a lightly floured surface, roll a portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness; keep rest refrigerated., To cut out stars: Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut around star patterns. You will need a total of 33 cookies--two treetop stars; three each of stars 1-4 and 9; and four each of stars 5-8. Place 12 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Press a red-hot candy into the center of each treetop star; press red hot candies into points of the rest of the stars. In one number 9 star, make two indentations as shown on the pattern (to hold the treetop stars in place)., To bake: Place all cookies in a 350° oven and bake until lightly browned on the edges; 5 minutes for treetop stars; 8-10 minutes for numbers 6-9; 11-12 minutes for numbers 1-5. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks and cool completely., To assemble: Starting with star number 1, stack stars on the serving plate, staggering star points. For a natural-looking tree as shown in the photo at left, the sizes are alternated in the following order: 1-1-2-1-2-3-2-3-4-5-4-5-5-6-5-6-6-7-6-7-7-8-7-8-8-9-8-9-9 ( with indentations). Place the two tree top stars in the indentations, leaning back to back. Dust tree with confectioners' sugar if desired. To serve, pass the entire tree.

GINGERBREAD CHRISTMAS TREE SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookie dough: Whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, salt, baking soda, allspice, nutmeg, cayenne and baking powder in a medium bowl.
• Beat the granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the molasses until combined, then the egg (the mixture might look curdled). Add the flour mixture and mix on low until the dough comes together. Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disk and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Keeping one dough disk refrigerated, roll the other on a well-floured work surface to 1/4 inch thick, sprinkling flour on and under the dough as needed and sliding a spatula underneath every so often to prevent sticking (if the dough looks crackly or breaks apart, press it back together from the outside edge in). Use a 3 1/2-inch-wide by 3 3/4-inch-tall Christmas tree cookie cutter to cut out trees as close together as possible. Pull away the extra dough around each shape, then use a small offset spatula to transfer the trees to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 1/2 inch apart (they will not spread much during baking). Reroll the scraps and cut out more cookies. Repeat this process with the remaining dough disk to make about 22 total. Freeze the cookies until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Bake, rotating the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through cooking, until the cookies are slightly firm to the touch but not browned at the edges, about 12 minutes. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes. The cookies will continue to firm as they cool.
• For the filling: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar and salt and mix until smooth and creamy. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (size 6).
• For the add-ins: Pipe frosting in the style of a garland on half of the cookies. Lightly press the candy-coated chocolates into the frosting garlands. Cut the pretzel sticks to the same length as the cookie tree trunks. Pipe a small amount of frosting onto the trunks, then press pretzel stick pieces into the frosting. Turn the remaining cookies over (bottom-side up) and pipe frosting onto each. Top each with a decorated cookie and serve immediately.

GINGERBREAD TREES

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, gingerbread spice, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, brown sugar and molasses in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium low and add the flour mixture in two batches, beating until just combined. Divide the dough between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap. Flatten into disks and wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350˚. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface until about 3/8 inch thick. Cut out trees using 2- to 3-inch cutters. (If the dough becomes too sticky, refrigerate 15 minutes.) Arrange the cutouts 1 inch apart on the prepared pans.
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are puffed and the edges are lightly set, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the pans, then remove the cookies to racks to cool completely.
• Roll out the other disk of dough on a lightly floured surface and cut out more cookies. Once the baking sheets have cooled, arrange the cutouts on the pans, bake and let cool.
• Make the icing: Whisk the confectioners' sugar with the water until smooth and very thick. Transfer the icing to a resealable plastic bag, snip off a corner and pipe on the cookies; sprinkle with sanding sugar. Decorate with the sunflower seeds.

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix first bowl ingredients together until it becomes a creamy brown batter.
• Sift second bowl ingredients; add to the wet batter a little at a time.
• Mix together until it becomes a crumby dough.
• Make the dough into a ball and chill for an hour.
• When ready, cover the dough in flour and place on a heavy floured surface.
• Knead dough with the palms of your hand and roll it out.
• Cut into desired shapes.
• Cook for 10-15 minute until golden brown.

GINGERBREAD CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Beat shortening and sugar together in a large bowl. Stir in molasses.
• Sift baking soda, ground cloves, ginger, cinnamon and flour together in a large bowl. Stir this mixture plus water into the sugar and shortening mixture, alternately adding the water and baking soda mixture to the shortening mixture.
• Stir until mixed thoroughly and refrigerate 6-8 hours.
• Cut dough into three equal pieces, knead each piece lightly and then use a rolling pin to roll out each piece to a 1/4-inch thickness.
• Use holiday cookie cutters made in the shapes of gingerbread people and houses to cut shapes out of the dough.
• Use a medium- to large-sized drinking straw or the end of a wooden chopstick to make a hole at the top of each shape. *Tip: make sure to really make a sizable hole (bigger than you think you need), as these do puff up in the cooking process, making the hole shrink.
• Put cookies on cookie sheets and bake for about 20 minutes. Turn oven off and allow cookies to cool in the oven. This will help harden the cookies.
• Place cookies on racks to completely harden. Place racks in a cool, dry place and let sit for two to three days.
• Coat cookies with clear acrylic or varnish and allow cookies to dry thoroughly.
• Paint cookies with acrylic paints as desired. Allow paint to dry thoroughly.
• Thread a 5- to 6-inch length of narrow ribbon or cording through the hole at the top of each ornament. You may have to use a toothpick to chip a little bit of cookie out of the hole if it has closed up a bit, before threading with ribbon. Knot ends and hang ornaments.

GINGERBREAD CHRISTMAS TREES

Steps:

• In large bowl, stir first five ingredients until soft dough forms. Divide dough in half. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Unwrap dough; on lightly floured surface, roll half of dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with floured 5-inch Christmas tree-shaped cookie cutter. On ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts 2 inches apart. Repeat with remaining half of dough. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Mix vanilla frosting and green paste food color until blended. Spread on cookies. Spread chocolate frosting on base of each cookie for tree stump. With white icing, starting at the top, pipe thin swooping lines to look like light strands. Decorate with light bulb candy sprinkles. Place star candy sprinkle at top of each cookie. Let stand until set.

GINGERBREAD-COOKIE TREES

Steps:

• Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in egg, then molasses, spices, baking soda, and salt. Reduce speed to low. Gradually mix in flour. Divide dough into quarters; shape into disks. Wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours (up to 2 days).
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Transfer one disk of dough at a time to a lightly floured work surface. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out shapes using a set of 11 fluted round cookie cutters in graduated sizes (3/4 inch to 3 1/2 inches). You will use each cutter once for every tree. Using a 1 1/4-inch star cutter, cut out 10 stars. Arrange cookies by size on parchment-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
• Bake until firm, about 6 minutes for small cookies and 10 minutes for large. Let cool 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and let cool completely.
• Assemble trees: Put frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip (such as Ateco #12). Pipe a dime-size dot of frosting in center of second-largest cookie; sandwich with largest cookie. Repeat in descending pairs with larger cookies on top to make 5 sandwiches. Pipe a scalloped 1/4-inch-thick border of frosting on top of larger cookie of largest sandwich. Top with the second-largest sandwich, larger cookie up, and repeat to make a tree of 5 sandwiches. Top with frosting, then smallest cookie, then more frosting and a star (standing upright). Cookie trees can be refrigerated up to 6 hours (they will soften). Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

GINGERBREAD SANDWICH TREES

Steps:

• Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and molasses. In another bowl, whisk flour, pie spice, baking soda, ginger and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Refrigerate, covered, until easy to handle, about 2 hours., Preheat oven to 325°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-in. tree-shaped cookie cutter. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Gently press M&M's into half of the cookies. Bake until edges are firm, 8-10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., If using vanilla frosting, tint with green food coloring if desired. Spread frosting over bottoms of plain cookies; covered with decorated cookies. Store in an airtight container.

SUPER SIMPLE GINGERBREAD TREE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a stand mixer or a large bowl (with a hand mixer), beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about three minutes.
• Add the egg and molasses and beat until blended, scraping down sides as necessary.
• To a separate medium bowl, add the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Mix together.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat just until combined.
• Press the dough together and form into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for an hour, or up to three days.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Remove disc from fridge and cut into fourths.
• Roll each piece about 1/4 inch thick. You may need to let the dough warm up just a bit, and, depending on your surface, you may need some additional flour to prevent sticking.
• With a knife or cookie cutter, cut the dough into simple triangle tree shapes (see pic above for reference).
• Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes, until they're firm and just starting to get golden at edges. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make the glaze: mix together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. It will seem very thick at first but should thin out into a thick drizzle-able consistency. If it does not thin enough, add a bit more lemon juice until the right consistency.
• Drizzle the glaze over the cookies. I place the icing in a Ziploc bag, cut the corner off, and drizzle lines of icing over the cookies that way. Easy peasy.
• Immediately sprinkle on a little sugar before the icing hardens.
• Let sit until icing hardens before storing or assembling on cookie plates. Cookies keep up to one week in an airtight container.