Description
Create festive Stacked Christmas Tree Cookies with soft buttery layers and rich green buttercream frosting. Perfect for holiday celebrations, these cookies are stacked in three sizes and decorated with star sprinkles and pearl candies for a charming holiday treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 0.75 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 0.75 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2.25 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 0.25 teaspoon salt
- Drops green food coloring, as desired
Garnishing
- Yellow star sprinkles
- Silver and gold pearl-shaped sprinklers
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare baking sheets: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line at least two baking sheets with Silpat liners or parchment paper to prevent sticking and set them aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a large bowl and electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter on high speed until creamy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl sides to ensure even mixing. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until fully incorporated and creamy, about 3 minutes.
- Add egg and vanilla: Incorporate the egg and vanilla extract into the butter-sugar mixture, beating until well blended and smooth. Again, scrape the sides of the bowl for consistent mixing.
- Mix dry ingredients: Gradually add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet mixture. Beat on low speed just until the dough comes together; avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Form cookie balls: Divide the dough into three sizes by making balls of 1 teaspoon, 2 teaspoons, and 3 teaspoons each. Aim for about 20 balls of each size, totaling approximately 60 cookies.
- Bake cookies: For large (3 teaspoon) dough balls, bake on the center rack for 10 minutes. Medium (2 teaspoon) cookies need 8 minutes, and small (1 teaspoon) cookies require 6 minutes. Cookies are done when edges are set but centers might appear slightly soft—they will firm as they cool. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make buttercream frosting: Using the same mixing bowl, beat 1 cup softened butter until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add half of the confectioners’ sugar and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Scrape sides, then add the remaining sugar and mix well. Add vanilla extract and salt, continuing to beat until smooth. Slowly add green food coloring drops, mixing until you reach the desired shade.
- Pipe frosting on cookies: Fit a piping bag with a star tip (such as 1M) and fill it with the green buttercream frosting. Pipe frosting onto the large cookies, then pipe frosting onto the medium cookies as layers. Add a swirl on top of the small cookies resembling the tree top.
- Assemble and decorate cookie trees: Place the large cookie as the base, stack a medium cookie on top, then the small cookie. Repeat for remaining cookies. Garnish your stacked cookie trees with yellow star sprinkles on top and decorate with silver and gold pearl sprinkles or your choice of festive decorations.
Notes
- Baking times depend on cookie size, oven type, altitude, and ingredient brands, so watch cookies closely and use doneness cues rather than relying solely on time.
- For best texture, bake one sheet at a time placed in the center of the oven and rotate halfway through baking.
- Store decorated cookies airtight in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks; they are best eaten fresh but maintain quality well when chilled.
- You can store cookies at room temperature sealed airtight for up to 4 days if preferred.
- For freezing, freeze baked but undecorated cookies in airtight containers or bags. Thaw completely before frosting to preserve frosting texture and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 95 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
