Name: Irish Shortbread Christmas Tree Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: FOR THE COOKIES:; 1 1/2 cups (12oz, 345g) butter, at room temperature; 1 cup (7.5oz, 216g) sugar, plus extra for sprinkling; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 3 1/2 cups (1lb 1/2oz, 469g) all-purpose flour; 1/4 teaspoon salt; FOR THE ICING:; 1 cup (41/2oz, 127g) confectioners sugar (icing sugar); water; green and yellow food dye; Red edible pearl decorations

Christmas Tree Cookies - thee most festive cookies you will ever eat.

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Hi Bold Bakers!

I’m excited to share with you my traditional Irish Shortbread Cookies recipe with a BIG & BOLD twist: we’re making Shortbread Christmas Tree Cookies. So let’s get baking!

I have gotten a lot of requests from you to see more traditional Irish recipes so this is one of them.

Watch The Recipe Video!

Irish Shortbread Christmas Tree Cookies

4.69 from 16 votes

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Make my traditional delicious Irish Shortbread Cookies into adorable Christmas Tree Cookies perfect for the holiday season!

Author: Gemma Stafford

Servings:

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Make my traditional delicious Irish Shortbread Cookies into adorable Christmas Tree Cookies perfect for the holiday season!

Author: Gemma Stafford

Servings:

Ingredients

FOR THE COOKIES:
1 1/2 cups (12oz, 345g) butter, at room temperature
1 cup (7.5oz, 216g) sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups (1lb 1/2oz, 469g) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
FOR THE ICING:
1 cup (41/2oz, 127g) confectioners sugar (icing sugar)
water
green and yellow food dye
Red edible pearl decorations

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350oF (180oC).
In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the room temperature butter and sugar until they are light and pale in color.
Add the vanilla.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 60 minutes.
Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut using star cutters. Here is where I bought them: https://bit.ly/starcutters
Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the edges begin to brown lightly. Allow to cool to room temperature.
To make your frosting: Mix your confectioners sugar with a few drops of water and stir. Take care to not add too much for it will be really hard to get it thick again.
In seperate bowls, add the food dye to reach desired color of green and yellow.
Frost each cookie for the trees. Make sure to save some small stars to be dyed yellow to go on top. Leave to dry.
Stack the cookies on top of each other binding each layer with a drop of frosting.
Once dry, place your pearl decorations on the points of the stars.
Finish the tree by placing the star on top!!! Enjoy this cookie 🙂

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Sritanvi Karthik

2 years ago

Hi Gemma.
This shortbread cookie was absolutely amazing when I baked them and my whole family loved them. I’m only 11 years old and this recipe like all your other recipes were easy simple and ofcourse amazing. One question, how long will these last in an airtight container?
Thanks!

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Jenna Anastasia

4 years ago

Gemma I love this recipe and I was so inspired by your Christmas tree design! I used some of the extra dough, after cutting out the stars, to make little square cookies that I decorated as presents to put around the tree. Thanks for all the holiday baking ideas!

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Eileen Cooper

1 year ago

I have followed you for a long time. have never been disappointed . Can this dough be frozen. How long can it keep in the fridge? Thank you

Nicolene

Hi Gemma thank you for this recipe. Please advise if I can use cake wheat flour in this recipe as I am unable to get all purpose flour in my country? If yes what is the ratio of all purpose to cake flour ratio? Your recipes and channel are amazing.

Hi Gemma, I trust that you are well. I live in South Africa and there is no such thing as all-purpose flour here. Please advise if I can use cake wheat flour to make shortbread? Your channel and recipes are amazing.

Sashalabru

Hi Gemma,
I’m looking forward to trying this for Christmas. I wanted to ask, how many trees can I expect to get out of a single batter if I use similar cookie cutters as urs ?
Thanks
Sasha

Trista

3 years ago

Could I add coco powder to make it chocolate and how much would I added

Esme

Hi Gemma, I have to say I love your easy to follow delicious recipes but I have a query, I have made you 3 ingredient shortbread many times but this time it has spread in oven what did I do wrong?
I’m an Irish girl like you who is very proud to see how successful you have become

shaira inderjeeth

Hi what sugar do use for irish coo
kies
Is it castor sugar or icing sugar

Dianna

So fun to find your recipe to make a Christmas tree. My husband and I made Our first one last year. Our set of star cookie cutters (green from Amazon) has more stars—10 star nesting cookie cutters. We were to use two of each size which makes a taller tree. Otherwise it was the same. I wanted a different recipe because the one we found last year was not as tasty as we would have liked. We did not use the smallest star for the top. We used an angel we had been given that was part of a tiny… Read more »