Description
These Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies are a festive treat perfect for holiday celebrations. Soft, lightly sweetened sugar cookies are cut into charming Christmas tree shapes, baked to a delicate golden hue, and topped with smooth, creamy cream cheese frosting that can be colored for a fun, decorative finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup softened unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 (8-ounce) block softened cream cheese
- ½ cup softened unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups of all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon baking powder until well combined. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In another medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup softened unsalted butter and ⅔ cup granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy, which helps create a tender cookie texture.
- Add Wet Ingredients: To the creamed butter and sugar, add 2 egg yolks, 2 tablespoons sour cream, 1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon lemon extract (optional). Mix gently until just combined to retain a soft dough.
- Combine Mixtures: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir just until the dough comes together. Avoid overmixing to keep cookies tender.
- Roll and Cut Dough: Divide the dough into 2 or 3 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece to a ¼ inch thickness. Use a Christmas tree cookie cutter (or other shapes) to cut out cookies.
- Re-roll Scraps: Gather the dough scraps, let rest for about 5 minutes, then re-roll and cut until all dough is used, minimizing waste.
- Arrange Cookies: Place cut cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 ½ inches apart to allow for slight spreading during baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 7-8 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Cookies should be lightly set at the edges and very pale in color with minimal browning underneath.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes to set their shape, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Make Cream Cheese Frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together 1 (8-ounce) block softened cream cheese and ½ cup softened unsalted butter until smooth. Scrape down the bowl and beat again to fully incorporate.
- Add Flavor and Sugar: Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt, and 4 cups powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until the sugar is moistened, then increase speed and beat until frosting is smooth and fluffy.
- Decorate Cookies: Optionally color the frosting with food coloring, then spread or pipe onto the cooled cookies to finish with festive flair.
Notes
- Make sure the butter and cream cheese are fully softened to achieve a smooth frosting.
- Do not over-bake the cookies; they should remain very light in color for the best texture.
- Using parchment paper helps cookies bake evenly and prevents sticking.
- If you don’t have lemon extract, you can omit it or substitute with additional vanilla extract.
- Resting dough scraps before re-rolling helps prevent the dough from becoming too tough.
- Decorate the cookies immediately after frosting to allow the colors and designs to set properly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
