Christmas Tree Cookie Balls Food

CHRISTMAS TREE COOKIE FOREST

Steps:

• For the dough: Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat together the vanilla and 2 eggs in a small bowl.
• Beat the butter, granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed. Once they are incorporated, increase the speed to medium and, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, beat until slightly creamy, about 3 minutes.
• Reduce the speed to low, slowly pour in the egg mixture and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, increasing the speed as the dough gets thicker to keep the beaters spinning and scraping down the sides of the bowl and the beaters as needed. Once all the flour is just incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the dough is very smooth, about 5 minutes.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl and bring it together on a clean surface. Divide into 2 pieces. Shape each piece into a flat square and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
• To cut and bake the forest: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment.
• Dust your work surface with flour and roll out a piece of dough until about 1/4-inch thick. Keep the other piece refrigerated while you work. Punch out shapes in the dough with tree cookie cutters of various sizes and cut off the dough trunks; for every 3D tree you will need 2 tree cutouts of the same size so punch out the shapes in pairs. For our forest we used 4-inch, 6-inch and 8-inch cutters. Put the trees on the prepared baking sheets and chill while you roll and cut trees from the remaining dough. Combine the scraps of the 2 squares. Chill again, reroll and cut out more trees You should have 8 to 10 pairs of trees, depending on the size of your cutters. Freeze the cutout cookies for at least 30 minutes.
• Rearrange the cookies on the baking sheets so that the pairs are next to each other. For the first cookie of each pair, use a sharp paring knife to cut a 1/2-inch-wide slot from the bottom to a little more than halfway up the cookie. For the second cookie of each pair, cut a similar slot but from the top of the tree down to a little past the middle. You will fit the cookies together with these slots after they are baked. Return the cookies to the freezer for 30 minutes more.
• Whisk together the remaining egg with 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Brush a thin layer of egg wash on the cookies right before baking.
• Bake the cookies, rotating the baking sheets front to back and bottom to top about halfway through, until golden brown and dry on top, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets set on a cooling rack, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the royal icing: Combine the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and vanilla in a large bowl. Add 5 tablespoons water and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the icing forms thick and glossy peaks, about 2 minutes, adding up to 1 tablespoon more water, if needed.
• Remove a third of the royal icing and place it in a pastry bag fitted with a small no. 4 round tip. Color the remaining icing with the green food coloring, one drop at a time, until it's a shade you like. If the frosting is still very stiff, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of water. Fill a second pastry bag fitted with another small no. 4 round tip with the green frosting.
• Use a sharp paring knife to shave the cookie edges so they are smooth and flat: Pay attention to the tree bottoms (so the trees will stand straight) and the inner edges of the slots. Assemble the trees by sliding the top-slot trees into the bottom-slot trees. Shave the cookies as needed for a smooth fit, then disassemble them and place the pieces on a flat surface. Don't worry if a tree breaks; glue the pieces together with green royal icing.
• To decorate the forest: Decorate each cookie with the green icing, leaving a blank strip up the center without icing; this is where the pieces will fit together. We used a zigzag line of green on each side. Sprinkle with white sprinkles while the icing is still wet. Let set
• until firm, 30 to 45 minutes. Turn the cookies over and decorate the backs in the same fashion. Let set until firm, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Assemble the trees. Pipe a thin line of white icing on the outer edges of the trees for snow. Let set before serving, 30 to 45 minutes. Arrange the trees on a serving platter to create a forest. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar for snow.

CHRISTMAS COOKIE ORNAMENTS

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugar. Beat in the honey, egg and vanilla. Gradually add the flour and salt., Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll to an 1/8-in. thickness. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters dipped in flour. Transfer cutouts to ungreased baking sheets., Using a straw, make a hole in the top of each cookie. Remove the center circle of dough. Bake the cookies at 350° for 6 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. Remove the cookies to wire racks to cool., For frosting, combine the confectioners' sugar, water, corn syrup and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Tint the frosting with liquid or paste food coloring in desired colors., Place each color of frosting in a pastry or plastic bag. Cut a small hole in the tip of each bag. Spread and pipe frosting onto cookies as desired., If desired, create stitch marks on a stocking or veins on holly leaves by dipping a toothpick in food coloring and painting on the lines., For hanging loops, cut forty 8-in. strips of 1/8-in.-wide ribbon. Thread a ribbon strip through the hole in each cookie and tie the ends into a bow.

COOKIE BALL CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Steps:

• Grind the cookies in a food processor, then add the cream cheese and pulse until the mixture comes together. Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Scoop the cookie mixture into 36 balls; form each into a bulb shape with your hands. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze 10 minutes.
• Melt the red candy melts in the microwave as the label directs. Remove 9 cookie bulbs from the freezer and insert a toothpick or skewer into the wide ends. Fill a small bowl with red sugar.
• Dip a bulb in the red candy melts, leaving just a small circle around the toothpick uncovered. Let the excess drip off.
• Working quickly, sprinkle red sugar over the whole bulb. Set on a clean parchment-lined baking sheet. Coat the other 8 bulbs with red candy melts and red sugar.
• Repeat with the other colors, making 9 bulbs in each color. Let all the bulbs set at room temperature for at least 20 minutes, then remove the toothpicks.
• Unwrap the Tootsie Rolls; cut them in half crosswise. Use a paring knife to create ridges in each piece to look like the base of a bulb.
• Using some melted candy melts, attach a Tootsie Roll half to the uncovered end of each bulb. Let dry for about 10 minutes.
• Brush the Tootsie Rolls with silver luster dust. Attach the bulbs to licorice laces with more melted candy melts, if desired.

CHRISTMAS TREE COOKIE BALL POPS

Steps:

• Mix cream cheese and cookie crumbs until blended.
• Shape into 40 (1-inch) balls. Mix melted chocolate and food coloring until blended. Dip 1 lollipop stick in melted chocolate, then insert chocolate-dipped end into center of 1 cookie ball. Place on waxed paper-covered rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cookie balls. Freeze 10 min.
• Dip balls in remaining chocolate; return to baking sheet. Decorate with decorating icing and candies as shown in photo. Refrigerate 1 hour or until chocolate coating is firm.

CHRISTMAS TREE COOKIE BALLS

Steps:

• Mix cream cheese and cookie crumbs until blended. Shape into 10 (1-inch) balls, using a level tablespoon for each. Place on a waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Shape remaining cream cheese mixture into 2 cubes. Add to baking sheet. Freeze 15 minutes.
• Microwave white chocolate in microwaveable bowl on HIGH for 30 seconds; stir. Microwave 30 seconds more; stir. Continue heating and stirring in 10-second increments until completely melted.
• Dip each cube-shaped cookie ball into white chocolate using a fork, letting any excess drip back into the bowl; return to baking sheet. Stir green food coloring into remaining chocolate. Dip each of the remaining cookie balls into the tinted chocolate; return to baking sheet. Top immediately with sprinkles. Refrigerate 15 minutes or until chocolate is firm.
• Decorate cube-shaped pieces with red decorating gel to resemble presents. Arrange green cookie balls on a platter to resemble a Christmas tree. Add pretzel piece for the trunk. Place cookie ball presents under the tree.

CAKE BALL CHRISTMAS TREE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Make cake as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Line large cookie sheet with waxed paper. Crumble cake into large bowl. Add frosting; mix well. Shape mixture into 49 (1 1/2-inch) balls; place on cookie sheet. Freeze about 1 hour or until firm. When firm, transfer to refrigerator.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and oil uncovered on High 20 to 40 seconds or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Remove 4 balls from refrigerator. Using 2 forks, roll 1 ball at a time in melted chocolate to coat; gently shake off excess chocolate. Place on second large waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.
• In 2-quart microwavable bowl, microwave candy melts uncovered on Medium (50%) 1 minute 30 seconds; stir. Continue microwaving and stirring in 30-second increments until melted and smooth.
• Remove 1 ball from refrigerator. Using 2 forks, dip and roll ball in green coating; gently shake off excess. Place on cookie sheet; immediately sprinkle ball with yellow candy sprinkles.
• Remove a few balls from refrigerator at a time. Repeat dipping and rolling with remaining balls; rolling 1 ball at a time in green coating. Gently shake off excess each time. Place on cookie sheet; immediately sprinkle top with holiday candy sprinkles.
• Refrigerate all coated cake balls about 10 minutes or until set.
• On serving tray, arrange cake balls as follows: For star at top of tree, place yellow sprinkled ball. Place remaining green cake balls in triangle tree-shaped pattern (use photo as a guide). Place the 4 chocolate-coated balls at short side of triangle for tree trunk. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

CHRISTMAS BALL COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat 1 cup of the butter, 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and the salt with electric mixer on medium speed about2 minutes or until creamy. Beat in 1/4 teaspoon of the almond extract. On low speed, beat in flour just until combined. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper. Shape dough into 48 (3/4-inch) balls. Roll 16 balls in each color of sanding sugar, coating completely. On cookie sheets, place balls 1 inch apart.
• Bake 15 minutes or until set and bottoms are light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. In small bowl, beat remaining 1/4 cup butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and the milk with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. For each sandwich cookie, spread about 1/2 teaspoon filling on bottom of 1 cookie; top with second cookie, bottom side down, to form ball.