These festive treats are prefect to make with children and to wrap up beautifully as gifts. For flawless cookies, I recommend storing them safely in a metal tin lined with tissue paper. Be sure to pack them tightly so they donc break. Enjoy them with green tea within 5 days.
VANILLA CHRISTMAS TREE COOKIES
10 November 2025
: makes about 20 cookies
: 40 min
: 10 min
: EASY
You'll need: tree-shaped cookie cutters (or other shapes), parchment paper, rolling pin, electric mixer
Ingredients
FOR THE DOUGH:
- 200 g flour
- 50 g almond flour
- 100 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 60 g confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1 egg
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 vanilla bean
- 2 tsp poppy seeds
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp heavy cream (or plain yogurt / petit-suisse)
FOR THE ROYAL ICING:
- 75 g confectioners’ sugar
- ½ egg white
- A few drops of lemon juice
- Silver sugar pearls and/or other sugar decorations
Directions
- Step 1 In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and almond flour. Add the cold butter, cut into small cubes, and mix with your hands until the texture is crumbly. Add the beaten egg, the seeds from the vanilla bean, and a little water if necessary, until the dough becomes smooth and uniform. Form the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), conventional heat.
- Step 2 On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick. Use the cookie cutters to cut out tree shapes and place them on a parchment-lined baking tray, leaving 2 cm between cookies. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and cream with a fork until frothy. Brush both sides of the cookies lightly with this mixture using a pastry brush. (Optional: sprinkle some poppy seeds on cookies that you don’t plan to ice later.)
- Step 3 Bake for about 10 minutes, watching carefully until lightly golden. Let cool completely on a plate before decorating.
- Step 4 For the royal icing, whisk the lemon juice, confectioners’ sugar, and egg white with a fork until the mixture is smooth and thick. Brush the icing over the cookies or pipe it using a paper cone or piping bag. Add silver sugar pearls or other decorations, and let the icing harden for about 1 hour before placing the cookies gently in an airtight tin.
Good to know!
