These cookies are the favorites of children, as well as any adults who love sprinkles on everything!  They are rolled and cut with a tree shaped cutter.

1/2 cup softened butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 room temp. egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 & 1/2 cups unsifted, all purpose-flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder (I use Hershey)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Frosting…

1 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon softened butter

1 tablespoon butter flavor Crisco

2 tablespoons 2% milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Green food coloring and sprinkles

Cream butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla in large mixing bowl until fluffy.

In a medium bowl, whisk together everything except the frosting. Add to creamed mixture in three increments until well combined.

Depending on how warm your kitchen is, you may need to chill this dough if it is too soft to roll. 

Roll dough to about 1/4″ thickness.

When I roll these cookies I use a combination of cocoa powder and powdered sugar on a silicone mat. Dust your surface lightly with my mixture or lightly with flour.

Dip your cutter each time you cut, knocking off any extra.  This helps make nice edges on your chocolate trees.

I use a very flexible plastic bench scraper I got from King Arthur.  It is ideal for getting these cookies on the baking sheet.

Place cookies on parchment lined sheets, and bake in pre-heated oven for 5-9 minutes. It is 8 & 1/2 minutes in my oven due to the size of my trees. Cool 2 minutes on the sheet, then carefully transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.

While cookies are cooling, prepare frosting and sprinkles.

Combine all ingredients except the food coloring. Beat until smooth, and add color till you reach the desired intensity. Gel coloring is preferable to keep frosting consistency. Make sure the color is fully mixed in. Have sprinkles at the ready, as the frosting dries quickly! 

Use a butter knife or small icing spatula, and swirl green icing onto one cooky at a time, quickly adding sprinkles on top. This year, I added edible glitter for a sparkly effect! 

Place the trees back onto the wire racks until the frosting is dry.

“In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” Revelation 22:2

sage