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Christmas Tree Cookies Recipe

★★★★★

4.8 from 113 reviews
  • Author: Lana
  • Total Time: 6 hours 50 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Delight in these charming Christmas Tree Cookies, perfect for holiday celebrations. These buttery, tender cookies are sandwiched with sweet raspberry or strawberry jam, dusted with confectioners sugar for a festive look. The recipe involves a simple dough preparation chilled to perfection and baked to golden, crispy edges, creating beautiful Linzer-style cookies that both look and taste incredible.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Cookie Dough

  • 1 cup unsalted butter (225 gms), at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (325 gms)

For the Filling and Decoration

  • 1/2 cup raspberry or strawberry jam (or as needed)
  • Additional confectioners sugar (for dusting)

Instructions

  1. Make cookie dough: In a medium bowl, add butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Cream together using an electric beater for about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
  2. Add flour and form dough: Gradually mix in all-purpose flour at low to medium speed until dough forms lumps. Remove the mixer and gently knead into a smooth disc.
  3. Chill dough: Divide dough into two halves, roll each between parchment paper to ⅛ to ¼ inch thickness. Refrigerate with parchment paper for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days to firm up.
  4. Cut dough shapes: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a medium Christmas tree cookie cutter, cut and place cookies 1 inch apart on sheets. Reroll scraps as needed.
  5. Create cut-out tops: Use a small round cutter (like a piping tip) to punch holes in half of the trees; these are the Linzer cookie tops. Be careful not to punch too many or too large holes near edges to prevent breakage.
  6. Chill cookies again: Return the baking sheets to the fridge and chill dough for at least 1 hour before baking.
  7. Bake cookies: Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown, rotating pans halfway through. Note the cut-out cookies may darken slightly more than whole ones.
  8. Cool cookies: Let baked cookies cool completely. You can freeze them up to 2 months at this stage if desired.
  9. Dust cut-out tops: Place cut-out cookie tops on a baking sheet and dust generously with confectioners sugar for a festive, snowy effect.
  10. Assemble cookies: Spread jam on the whole cookie bases, then gently place dusted cut-out tops on them, handling edges only. Optionally add extra jam inside the cut-outs for a fuller appearance.
  11. Storage tip: Cookies soften after a day when filled; for crisp cookies, assemble just before serving.

Notes

  • Chilling the dough multiple times helps maintain cookie shape during baking.
  • Be gentle when handling cut-out tops to prevent breaking thin edges.
  • These cookies can be frozen before assembly for convenient holiday prep.
  • Adjust amount of powdered sugar dusting according to preference for decoration.
  • Use of raspberry or strawberry jam provides a bright, complementary flavor, but other fruit jams can also be used.
  • Prep Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Christmas cookies, holiday cookies, Linzer cookies, jam-filled cookies, festive desserts, cookie recipe

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Find it online: https://mealsbylana.com/christmas-tree-cookies-recipe/