ICED CHRISTMAS TREE COOKIES RECIPES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and liqueur. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Shape dough into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with floured 2-1/2-in. ornament-shaped cookie cutters. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. If hanging cookies, make a hole with a plastic straw about 1/2 in. from the top of each cookie., Bake 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Use plastic straw to reopen holes in cookies., For icing, in a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, water, liqueur and meringue powder; beat on low speed just until combined. Beat on high 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Tint with food coloring as desired. (Keep unused icing covered at all times with a damp cloth. If necessary, beat again on high speed to restore texture.), Using pastry bags and small round tips, decorate cookies as desired. Let dry at room temperature for several hours or until firm. Thread ribbon through holes if desired. Store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Mix confectioners' sugar, butter or margarine, egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Stir in flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide dough into halves. On lightly floured cloth-covered board, roll each half out to 3/16 inch thick. on lightly floured cloth-covered board. Cut into Christmas shapes.
• Bake on parchment lined baking sheets for 7 to 8 minutes. Let cool on wire racks and decorate as desired.