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Stacked sugar cookie Christmas trees on marble table.
Recipe

Stacked Sugar Cookie Christmas Trees

  • Author: Life, Love and Sugar
  • Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 36 minutes
  • Total Time: 3 hours 6 minutes
  • Yield: 25 cookie trees
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These Stacked Sugar Cookie Christmas Trees are soft and chewy sugar cookies stacked with green vanilla buttercream and decorated like Christmas trees! They are so festive and a fun treat for the holidays!


Ingredients

Sugar Cookies

  • 2 3/4 cups (358g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup + 2 tbsp (233g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp (28g) light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Vanilla Buttercream

  • 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 cups (460g) powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 23 tbsp water or milk
  • Green gel icing color
  • 23 tbsp red and white pearl sprinkles
  • 1618 yellow star sprinkles

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

2. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.

3. Cream the butter and sugars together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy. You should be able to see the change in color happen and know it’s ready.

4. Add the egg and mix until well combined.

5. Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

6. Add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough is well combined. It will be thick and shouldn’t be sticky. Do not over mix. Once it’s well combined, use a rubber spatula to help it come together to form a more cohesive ball.

7. Make three sizes of balls of the cookie dough – 1 teaspoon, 2 teaspoons and 3 teaspoons. You should have an even number of each.

8. Bake the large cookies for 7-8 minutes, the medium sized cookies for 6-7 minutes and the small cookies for 5-6 minutes.

9. When cookies are done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, then move to a cookie rack to finish cooling.

10. To make the frosting, beat the butter until smooth.

11. Add half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

12. Add the vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of water and mix until smooth.

13. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

14. Add green gel icing color to the frosting and mix until you have your desired shade of green.

15. To put the cookies together, you’ll need one of each of the three sizes of cookie. Fit a piping bag with a medium sized star piping tip (I used Wilton 21) and fill the bag with the green frosting.

16. Pipe a swirl of frosting onto the largest cookie, then add the second medium sized cookie on top. Pipe a swirl of frosting onto the second cookie, then top with the third and smallest cookie. Pipe a swirl on top of the final cookie and decorate with a star and round “ornament” sprinkles.

17. Store cookies in an air tight container. Cookies are best if eaten within 3-4 days.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie tree
  • Calories: 293
  • Sugar: 27.6 g
  • Sodium: 102.9 mg
  • Fat: 15.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 38.5 g
  • Protein: 1.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 46.5 mg