Gingerbread Trees With Lemon Icing Recipes

SUPER SIMPLE GINGERBREAD TREE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a stand mixer or a large bowl (with a hand mixer), beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about three minutes.
• Add the egg and molasses and beat until blended, scraping down sides as necessary.
• To a separate medium bowl, add the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Mix together.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat just until combined.
• Press the dough together and form into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for an hour, or up to three days.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Remove disc from fridge and cut into fourths.
• Roll each piece about 1/4 inch thick. You may need to let the dough warm up just a bit, and, depending on your surface, you may need some additional flour to prevent sticking.
• With a knife or cookie cutter, cut the dough into simple triangle tree shapes (see pic above for reference).
• Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes, until they're firm and just starting to get golden at edges. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make the glaze: mix together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. It will seem very thick at first but should thin out into a thick drizzle-able consistency. If it does not thin enough, add a bit more lemon juice until the right consistency.
• Drizzle the glaze over the cookies. I place the icing in a Ziploc bag, cut the corner off, and drizzle lines of icing over the cookies that way. Easy peasy.
• Immediately sprinkle on a little sugar before the icing hardens.
• Let sit until icing hardens before storing or assembling on cookie plates. Cookies keep up to one week in an airtight container.

GINGERBREAD TREES WITH LEMON ICING

Steps:

• Make cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar on medium-high until creamy, 3 minutes. Add egg and beat to combine. Add molasses and beat to combine, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour (or up to 3 days).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. With a sharp knife or cookie cutter, cut dough into small 2-inch-wide triangles. Arrange triangles, 1 inch apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are firm and golden at edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
• Make icing: In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and confectioners' sugar and whisk until smooth. Drizzle icing over cooled cookies and sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired.