Shortbread Butter Christmas Tree Cookies
Recipe for festive butter shortbread cookies like Christmas trees
Time to bring a little Christmas magic into the kitchen! Crumbly, butter Christmas tree cookies in the shape of green trees are the perfect way to feel the spirit of the upcoming holidays from the very first bite. They smell of butter, melt delicately in your mouth, and look so charming that they are hard to resist. This is a great idea for a sweet table decoration, a small gift for loved ones, or baking together with children. The recipe is simple, and the result – delightful. If you’re looking for a bake that will bring a festive mood into your home and bring smiles, be sure to try these butter Christmas trees!
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Shortbread butter Christmas tree cookies step-by-step recipe
If you’re looking for an idea for unique Christmas cookies, then be sure to try this recipe and bake such green Christmas tree cookies!
Shortbread butter Christmas tree cookies recipe with video
Składniki
Ingredients for butter Christmas tree cookies
- 250 g butter (soft)
- 100 g powdered sugar ( ⅔ cup)
- 225 g all-purpose flour ( 1½ cups)
- 25 g potato starch/flour (1 slightly heaped tablespoon)
- approx. 0.5 teaspoon cocoa powder
- green food coloring
- flavoring ( optional)
- sugar sprinkles (optional)
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How to make butter Christmas tree cookies step by step
Step 1 – Preparation
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and draw Christmas tree shapes on them, keeping space between them (the cookies will spread slightly during baking) – I used a cookie cutter for this.
- Sift both flours together through a fine-mesh sieve.225 g all-purpose flour, 25 g potato starch/flour
Step 2 – Shaping the Cookie Dough
- Add the butter and powdered sugar (and vanilla extract, if using) to a mixing bowl.250 g butter, 100 g powdered sugar, flavoring
- Beat together on high speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture turns pale and noticeably increases in volume.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the sifted flours in batches, mixing briefly after each addition.
- Set aside about 1–1½ tablespoons of the dough in a bowl and stir in the cocoa powder using a spoon.approx. 0.5 teaspoon cocoa powder
- Add a few drops of green food coloring to the larger portion of the dough.green food coloring
- Mix the dough thoroughly, and add a bit more coloring if needed – keep in mind the color will deepen slightly during baking.
- Transfer both doughs into separate piping bags – I fitted my green dough bag with a Wilton 6B tip.
Step 3 – Piping the Christmas Tree Cookies
- Snip a small corner off the bag with the brown dough and pipe a little at the base of the tree to form the trunk.
- Starting from the bottom, pipe small portions of the green dough – I used 4–5 blobs. For the next row, slightly overlapping the bottom edge, pipe about 3 blobs, then 2, and finally 1 at the top.
- Make sure to leave some space between the cookies, as they will spread slightly while baking!
- If you like, you can now sprinkle the tops of the trees with colorful sugar sprinkles.sugar sprinkles
- Chill the cookie sheets in the fridge for about an hour.
Step 4 – Baking the Christmas Tree Cookies
- While the cookies chill, preheat the oven to 340°F (convection).
- Place the cookie sheets in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes (it’s a good idea to swap the sheets halfway through, after 10 minutes).
- Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool – they’re very soft right out of the oven, so don’t try to lift them off immediately!
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Uwagi
Wartości Odżywcze
Why make shortbread Christmas trees for the holidays?
I saw similar Christmas tree cookies on TikTok some time ago and liked them so much that I decided to bake similar ones. I had already made Christmas candy cane cookies before, so I knew that such shortbread cookies in the shape of green Christmas trees would be a hit at home and among children. The cookies themselves are not difficult to make, although they require a bit of time – especially for chilling. After baking, they look incredibly pretty and taste great – they are buttery, crumbly, and practically melt in your mouth. Be sure to try this recipe and share the cookies and the recipe with friends.
What ingredients are needed to bake Christmas tree cookies?
To bake such cookies at home, you will only need 6 ingredients, most of which are very easily accessible. Below I list the products I used and possible substitutes.
- butter – the best here will be extra 82% butter; remember to take it out of the fridge earlier so it warms up and softens!
- all-purpose flour – your favourite
- cocoa powder – you can optionally replace it with brown food coloring
- green food coloring – generally, food colorings are not available in regular stores, although sometimes they appear around holidays. It’s best to buy it online. Gel or powder coloring will work best here; I do not recommend liquid coloring, as it will thin the dough too much.
What if I don’t want to use artificial coloring?
If you can’t find coloring anywhere, or you don’t like using them, you can optionally color the dough with matcha powder, or e.g., green spirulina. Just remember that they will affect the taste of the cookies!
How to diversify the taste of shortbread butter cookies?
Christmas tree cookies are slightly sweet and have a buttery taste on their own. But you can “boost” them by adding a little oil-based flavoring – for example, almond or orange extract, which work great for Christmas. You can also use vanilla extract, or add seeds scraped from a vanilla pod. You can also add finely grated orange or lemon zest.
How to prevent cookies from spreading too much?
To prevent Christmas tree cookies from spreading too much during baking (they will spread a little anyway), it’s important to chill them thoroughly before baking. Initially, the cookie dough must be soft enough to pipe the cookies, but then they need to be chilled. The most convenient way is to cover the baking sheets with cling film and place them on a balcony or terrace. The cool outdoor temperature will make the cookies firm up. If you can’t put the cookies outside, you’ll unfortunately have to somehow put them in the fridge. If the baking sheet doesn’t fit, you can cut the parchment paper with the cookies into smaller pieces and transfer the cookies to the fridge that way.
How to store butter Christmas tree cookies?
Shortbread Christmas tree cookies are very soft and delicate right after baking, so you must leave them on the baking sheet until they cool completely. Then they will harden slightly, and you can safely remove them. It’s best to transfer them to a cookie tin or an airtight container with a lid.
I hope this recipe interests you and you try it. Baking cookies is a great idea for spending time together with children. Additionally, you can pack the cookies in nice packaging and give them to a loved one for the holidays. Such a handmade DIY gift is always a great idea!
Be sure to let me know in the comments how your cookies turned out. Also, check out my Instagram profile, where you’ll find this and my other recipes, and you can easily save them for later.
Recommended recipes for Christmas cookies
If you love homemade cookies and biscuits for Christmas, then be sure to check out my other recipes for delicious, crispy, and aromatic cookies. Here I recommend three such recipes, among others, and many more on the blog.
