Description
These festive Stacked Christmas Tree Cookies are a delightful holiday treat featuring soft, buttery sugar cookies in three sizes, layered with creamy green buttercream frosting and decorated with sparkling sprinkles. Perfect for holiday parties and gift-giving, they combine classic flavors with charming presentation to bring seasonal joy to any table.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Drops green food coloring, as desired
Garnishing
- Yellow star sprinkles
- Silver and gold pearl-shaped sprinklers
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line at least two baking sheets with Silpat liners or parchment paper; then set aside.
- Cream butter: In a stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a large bowl and handheld electric mixer, beat the softened butter on high speed until creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl sides.
- Add sugar: Add the confectioners’ sugar and continue beating until fully combined and creamy, approximately 3 minutes.
- Incorporate egg and vanilla: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add dry ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt, then beat just until incorporated—avoid overmixing.
- Shape cookie dough balls: Form cookie dough balls in three sizes—1 teaspoon, 2 teaspoons, and 3 teaspoons—with about 20 balls per size, totaling around 60 balls.
- Bake cookies: Bake the largest balls (3 teaspoons) for 10 minutes, medium balls (2 teaspoons) for 8 minutes, and small balls (1 teaspoon) for 6 minutes, or until edges are set. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack and rotate halfway for best results.
- Make buttercream frosting: Beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar in two parts, beating on medium speed and scraping down sides as needed. Mix in vanilla extract and salt. Add green food coloring a few drops at a time until reaching the desired shade.
- Decorate cookies: Fit a piping bag with a star tip (size 1M recommended) and pipe frosting onto the largest cookies first, then the medium ones. Pipe a swirl on the smallest cookies to resemble the top of the tree and place a yellow star sprinkle on top.
- Assemble cookie trees: Stack cookies starting with a large cookie base, topped with a medium cookie, then the small ones, repeating for all cookies.
- Garnish: Decorate the assembled cookie trees with gold and silver pearl sprinkles or any sprinkles of your choice, such as red and green jimmies.
Notes
- Baking times vary depending on the precise size of cookie dough balls, oven variations, and altitude. Watch cookies closely and judge doneness by set edges rather than solely time.
- Store decorated cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks, or at room temperature for up to 4 days, depending on preference.
- For freezing, freeze baked but undecorated cookies in an airtight container or zip-top bag, then frost after thawing for best texture and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
