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Marbled Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies

Marbled Christmas tree sugar cookies are cut from chilled, soft sugar cookie dough and dipped in green-and-white swirled icing. The icing sets smooth and dry, making each 3-inch tree ready to display or share.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Chilling and icing set 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 46 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 180
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cookies
  • 2.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp fine salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg large
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the marbled icing
  • 3 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 2 tbsp meringue powder
  • 4 tbsp water to 5 tablespoons
  • 0.25 tsp green gel food coloring divided

Equipment

  • 1 hand mixer
  • 2 baking sheets
  • 1 3-inch tree cookie cutter

Method
 

Make and bake the cookies
  1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  3. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
  4. Mix in the flour mixture on low speed just until a soft dough forms.
  5. Divide the dough into two disks, wrap, and chill for 1 hour.
  6. Heat the oven to 350°F.
  7. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  8. Roll each dough disk between sheets of parchment to 1/4-inch thickness.
  9. Cut out 3-inch tree shapes and arrange them about 1 inch apart on the sheets.
  10. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the cookies are set and their edges are just beginning to turn golden.
  11. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.
  12. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.
Make the marbled icing
  1. Beat the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder, and 4 tablespoons water in a medium bowl on low speed until combined.
  2. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth.
  3. Add more water 1 teaspoon at a time, up to 1 tablespoon, until a ribbon of icing disappears back into the surface in about 10 seconds.
  4. Divide the icing among three small bowls.
  5. Leave one bowl white.
  6. Stir 1/8 teaspoon green gel coloring into each of the other two bowls.
Dip and set the cookies
  1. Spoon a few stripes of white and green icing into a shallow bowl and swirl them once or twice with a toothpick.
  2. Replenish with spoonfuls from the bowls as needed to keep the colors distinct.
  3. Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the marbled icing and let excess drip back into the bowl.
  4. Set the cookies on a wire rack until the icing is dry, about 2 hours.

Notes

For distinct marbling, swirl the icing only once or twice. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days; freezer: yes—freeze undecorated cookies and ice after thawing. For a gluten-free variation, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend.