Best Gingerbread Cookie Trees Recipes

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.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING FOR GINGERBREAD-COOKIE TREES

Steps:

• Put cream cheese into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until smooth. Reduce speed to medium-low, and mix in sugar and vanilla. Raise speed to medium-high, and mix until fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes.

GINGERBREAD COOKIE TREES

Steps:

• 1. Beat sugar and shortening in the large bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy; beat in molasses, sour cream and egg. Stir together flour, baking soda, spices and salt in a medium bowl. Slowly add to mixer bowl, mixing just until incorporated. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. 2. Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough 1/4-inch thick on a lightly floured board, rerolling scraps as necessary. Cut out dough using the 3 smallest cutters and place on baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely. 3. Place frosting in bag and snip 1/2-inch off the end. Squeeze gently onto the 2 largest sizes of cookies and sprinkle with round holiday sprinkles. Stack to form tree shapes, largest to smallest. Add a tiny dab of frosting to the top of each and finish with a tiny snowflake.