How To Make An Easy Gingerbread Tree
110
- Prep Time20 min
- Total Time27 min
- Makes1
This stunning gingerbread tree—made from our classic gingerbread recipe, using a set of 10 graduated star cookie cutters—is a cinch to pull together.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup fancy molasses
Instructions
Stir 2 cups flour with ginger, cinnamon, allspice, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Make a well in centre.
Beat butter with brown sugar in a bowl, using an electric mixer on medium, for 2 min. Beat in egg and molasses. Pour molasses mixture into flour mixture. Stir until all flour is incorporated. Stir in remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough is no longer sticky but still soft. Divide dough into 4 portions. Form into discs. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 min or up to 1 week, or freeze up to 1 month.
Gingerbread Tree Instructions
Make a double batch of gingerbread dough. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment, or spray with cooking spray.
Let chilled dough sit for 5 min before rolling out—it will be easier to roll. Roll out 1 disc of dough on a floured surface until 1/8-in. thick. Using a set of 10 graduated star cutters (like these ones), cut out 2 of each size* (*note: you'll need three of the smallest size so you can use the third as the top star). Transfer to prepared baking sheets.
Bake in centre of oven until deep brown around edges and firm to the touch, about 7 min. Larger cut-outs may require more baking time. Repeat with remaining dough. Transfer cookies to racks to cool. Cool sheets slightly before the next batch.
When cookies are cool, pipe a thin line of royal icing around the border of each one and press a silver dragée into each star point while icing is still wet. For topper, pipe and flood 2 small stars and sprinkle with coarse pink sugar. When icing is dry, stack cookies into tree shape on a cake stand using the biggest cookies at the bottom and smallest at the top. Attach top to cookies using royal icing. Sprinkle tree with more coarse sugar.
Royal Icing
Beat 3 egg whites with 1/4 tsp vinegar in a large bowl using an electric mixer, until foamy. Add 5 cups sifted icing sugar until combined. Beat on high until dense and thick, but foamy, 3 to 7 min. Stir in 2 to 4 tbsp cold water to thin the icing. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a very small plain tip to decorate cooled cookies.
Step-by-step instructions
It's hard to take your eyes off the gorgeous tree made of gingerbread cookies. Not only is this gingerbread tree a fun holiday project to try your hand at, it's also wonderful as a centerpiece or to gift to friends. So, put aside your generic gingerbread house kit this year — and follow our step-by-step instructions:
1. You'll need a set of 10 graduated star cutters.
2. Prep your cookie dough. I recommend making double batches of solid and sturdy cookies, such as this sugar cookie or the gingerbread recipe above. I prefer rolling out my dough to 1/4-in. thick to make them even more sturdy, but this may increase your bake time.
3. Use graduated cookie cutters and cut out two of each size. Using two cookies of each size gives you a taller and leaner tree. Cut out an extra cookie with the smallest star cutter to use as your tree topper. You may need to re-roll your dough and chill multiple times.
4. Bake according to directions. Do not crowd your baking pan. Bake cookies together based on size. For example, you can bake 6 of the smaller stars together on one sheet because they will probably bake in the same time. However, bake the largest size on its own. This is because the bake time will be longer on the larger sizes. Add 1 (incremental) min bake time to your larger cookies if they don't seem to be baked through in the recommended time. But don't burn your cookies!
5. Make sure the cookies are as flat as possible. Often, cookies will 'puff' as they bake, especially cookies with baking soda (such as the gingerbread), and then won't sit on top of each other as neatly. So, it is important that the top of the cookies be as flat as possible. To combat any puff, have an extra baking sheet at the ready. When a tray of cookies comes out of the oven, immediately place your extra baking sheet over the cookies. Use an oven mitt to press down lightly on the cookies. Check your cookies, and repeat if the tops are not flat enough. This step is important as cookies won't flatten once cooled.
6. Let cookies cool completely on a rack. Prepare your royal icing. When cookies are cool, pipe a thin line of royal icing around the border of each cookie. Press a silver dragee into each star point while icing is still wet. Let stand until royal icing is firm.
7. For the tree topper, use a small star. Brush the inside of royal icing border with more royal icing, or corn syrup. Sprinkle with coarse pink sugar. Let stand until dry.
8. Wait for the icing to dry completely. Once dry, stack cookies into a tree shape on a cake stand. Attach tree topper to cookies using more royal icing. Sprinkle tree with more coarse sugar.
Tip: If one of your cookies accidentally cracks, use some royal icing to "glue" it back together. It won't affect the tree as it lays flat against the other pieces.
Get more of our best gingerbread recipes.
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