Easy gingerbread tree

75

PREP TIME

20 min

TOTAL TIME

27 min

Serves

1

* PLUS chilling time
Easy gingerbread tree

Roberto Caruso

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

  • TO MAKE GINGERBREAD COOKIE DOUGH:
    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.
  • TO MAKE EASY GINGERBREAD TREE:
    Make a double batch of gingerbread dough. Using 10 graduated star cutters (we used the PC Cookie Tree Kit, $10), cut out 2 of each size. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment, or spray with cooking spray. Roll out 1 disc of dough on a floured surface until 1/8 in. thick. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters. 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. 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.

Prep Tip

Let chilled dough sit for 5 min before rolling out. It will be easier to roll.

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