Description
Delicious festive cookies shaped like Christmas trees, decorated with royal icing and M&M’S® for a fun holiday treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups powdered sugar (for royal icing)
- 2½ tablespoons meringue powder
- 2–3 tablespoons water (for royal icing)
- 3 drops green gel food coloring
- Holiday sprinkles
- ½ cup M&M’S® Milk Chocolate Holiday Candies
- Gold star sprinkles
- 12 pretzel sticks
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the unsalted butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and kosher salt, mixing until fully incorporated.
- Add Flour: Turn the mixer off, then add all-purpose flour. Start the mixer on low speed to blend the flour into the dough evenly, forming a cohesive dough.
- Chill Dough: Divide the dough in half. Place one half on a large piece of plastic wrap, shape it into a flattened rectangle using the wrap to help, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Repeat with the remaining half.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Dough for Cutting: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly flour your workspace and rolling pin. Remove one dough portion from the refrigerator and roll out to about ½ inch thickness. Cut the dough into triangle shapes using a cookie cutter or by hand. Arrange the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Refrigerate the tray for 15-20 minutes. Gather scraps, reroll, cut, and chill as needed.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the chilled cookies in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Insert Pretzel Trunk: While the cookies are still warm, gently insert one pretzel stick into the bottom edge of each triangular cookie to serve as the Christmas tree trunk.
- Make Royal Icing: Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, blend powdered sugar, meringue powder, and 2 tablespoons water. Beat for about 7 minutes until the mixture is stiff, fluffy, and glossy. Add green gel food coloring and mix until you reach the desired shade of green. Transfer the icing to a piping bag.
- Decorate Cookies: Once cookies are fully cooled, pipe icing in a zigzag pattern from the tip to the base of each tree. While the icing is still wet, sprinkle holiday sprinkles over the icing and place several M&M’S® Milk Chocolate Holiday Candies to resemble ornaments. Finish by topping with a gold star sprinkle. Allow the icing to dry completely before serving.
Notes
- Make sure to use room temperature ingredients for best results.
- You can substitute other holiday-themed candies for decoration if desired.
- These cookies make great gifts when packaged nicely.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg