Christmas Tree Cookies

A brushed embroidery technique adds dimension and interest to these Christmas tree cookies. I used gingerbread dough but sugar cookie dough would work just as well just be sure to add a bit of brown icing to the trunk.

Here's how to make them:

Bake a batch of Christmas tree cookies.

Outline the tree with light green royal icing.

Fill in the outline and let the base coat dry completely before moving on to the next step.

With piping consistency dark green royal icing and a #2 tip pipe a line across the top of the bottom layer of branches.

Use a damp square tipped brush to pull the icing down. Keep cleaning your brush and working until you get a feathery effect.

Repeat for all the layers of branches.

When you get to the top, outline the tip and use your brush again to pull the icing down.

When you are done, let the trees dry before decorating further.

Using piping consistency icing and a  #2 tip to add garlands.

Add some red dots for ornaments and your tree is complete. I used a #1 tip. You want your icing to be stiff enough to hold it's shape but soft enough so that peaks don't form on top of the dots. Experiment on a plate beforehand to make sure your icing is the right consistency.