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Christmas Butter Cookies: The Happiest Christmas Tree



The most delicious Christmas Butter Cookies recipe decorated as "The Happiest Christmas Tree" for your cookie platter 2016 with step by step instructions!
Course Cookie
Cuisine Canadian
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 11 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 11 minutes
Servings 64 cookies
Author Valerie Lugonja

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Butter Cookie Dough:

  • 720 grams or 3 cups flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 335 grams or 1 ½ cups butter
  • 80 grams or ¾ cup icing sugar
  • 125 g granulated sugar
  • 15 grams or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Ingredients for Decorating the Christmas Tree Cookies:

  • Gold Starsor tree topper of some kind
  • 400 g Green Candy Melts
  • Red sugar pearl dragee
  • gold flakes for tinsel
  • Gingerbread Men sprinkles

Instructions

Instructions for Making Dough:

  1. Sift together flour and baking powder; set aside
  2. Cream butter and sugars on medium-high until light and fluffy; scrape down sides of bowl
  3. Add vanilla and mix to combine; scrape down sides of bowl
  4. On slow speed, add dry ingredients until fully incorporated (do not over mix); shape dough into large disc
  5. Wrap in plastic; chill in fridge for one hour or overnight

Instructions for Making Dough in Thermomix Machine:

  1. Sift together flour and baking powder; set aside
  2. Weigh butter and powdered sugar into TM bowl; combine together for 30 seconds on speed 3.5
  3. Weigh in granulated sugar with vanilla; mix to combine and cream for 3.5 minutes, speed 3-4
  4. Scrape down sides of bowl at mid point
  5. Add dry ingredients; mix to combine until ingredients start to clump together 15 seconds speeds 1-7
  6. Shape dough into large disc or two discs
  7. Wrap in plastic; chill in fridge for one hour or overnight
  8. Divide disc in two; place on lightly floured surface between parchment paper papers

Instructions for Rolling Dough:

  1. Divide disc in two; place on lightly floured surface between parchment paper papers (I use a mat and a sleeve on my rolling pin)
  2. Roll to ¼ inch thick; cut with cookie cutter and place on prepared baking sheet about ½ inch from one another
  3. Combine dough a couple of times and continue to roll out and cut into shapes; avoid combining dough more than two times, or it will be tough
  4. Continue with second disc, repeating the process; bake for 9-11 minutes, or until lightly browned only around the edges for a small cookie
  5. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes; remove cookies to cool completely on baking rack

Instructions for Decorating Cookies:

  1. Place green candy melts in disposable pastry bag; clip on one end to avoid spillage
  2. Melt in microwave, according to instructions
  3. Snip end off bag ever so carefully, holding up to the light to allow only the tiniest thread of liquid to escape the bag
  4. Dot 3 trees with a dollop of candy melt glue at the tip of each tree and cover the base of each tree at the same time; place a star on the top of each tree and a little gingerbread sprinkle on the base
  5. Repeat this process until all cookies have stars and bases; then proceed, one cookie at a time
  6. Draw a garland on a cookie in a draping fashion, from side to side of tree; plop three red dragees into position on the tree: one top right, one mid-left and one bottom right
  7. Using about 1/2 teaspoon of longish green needle-like sprinkles, sprinkle over wet candy melt garland to affix sprinkles, starting along each side of the tree and finishing down the centre leaving some open space (avoid base)
  8. Shake 24K gold foil flakes over tree for final sparkle; set on cookie sheet with finished cookies
  9. Pack in air tight container, in layers divided with plastic wrap; freeze until ready to serve