Peppermint Cookie Christmas Tree with Frosting

Ingredients:

Cookie

• 2 tbsp plus 2 tbsp premium flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 tsp fine salt
• 1 teaspoon of mint or peppermint extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 165 g butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• Special equipment: a 2-inch (5 cm) Christmas tree cookie cutter and a pastry bag with a 1/4-inch (0.16 cm) hole in the tip. (optional)

Royal icing

• 230 g (about 1 2/3 cups) powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup dry egg white
• 2 tbsp green food coloring
• 20 drops of red food coloring

New Year's balls

• 48 mini chocolate chips in a sprinkle coating
• White confectionery sprinkles, for sprinkling

Preparation:

1. To bake cookiesIn a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the mint and vanilla extracts with the egg using a fork.
2. Beat the butter, sugar, and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on low speed for about 30 seconds until combined (if using an electric hand mixer, beat for about 2 minutes). Increase the speed to medium and beat, stopping halfway through to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The mixture should be almost creamy (about 1 minute, or about 3 minutes with a hand mixer).
3. Reduce the speed to low, slowly add the egg mixture, and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture 1 heaping cup at a time in 2 additions, stopping the mixer several times to scrape down the sides of the bowl and beaters (if using a hand mixer, increase the speed to keep the beaters moving as the dough thickens).
   
   Once all the flour has been incorporated, increase the speed to medium (or higher if using a hand mixer) and beat until the dough is very smooth (about 2 minutes or about 5 minutes with a hand mixer).
4. Turn the dough out of the bowl and gather it into a ball. Divide the dough into two portions, each weighing approximately 300 grams. Form each half into a 15 cm square and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 3 hours or overnight.
5. Remove one square of dough from the refrigerator and let it soften until pliable but still cool and firm (about 15 minutes). Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and place racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Dust a sheet of parchment paper with flour. Do the same with the square of dough. Roll it out on the parchment to a thickness of about 0.6 cm. Lift the dough in places using a metal spatula or pastry knife to prevent it from sticking to the parchment.
7. Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out "Christmas trees" as close together as possible. Transfer them to prepared baking sheets, leaving 1-inch gaps between them. Gather the scraps into a ball, roll it out, and cut out more cookies. Place the cookie cutters on the baking sheets in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking.
8. Bake, alternating the top and bottom baking sheets and rotating them halfway through, until the cookies are lightly golden brown (18-20 minutes). Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely (about 30 minutes).
9. Meanwhile, remove the second square of dough from the refrigerator until it's soft and pliable, but still cool and firm (about 15 minutes). Repeat the rolling, cutting, freezing, and baking procedures.
10. To make green royal icingIn a large bowl, combine the powdered sugar and dry egg whites. Add 3 tablespoons of water and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the glaze thickens. The mixture should be pure white and thick, but not fluffy or foamy.If you overbeat the glaze, it will become saturated with air bubbles and become more difficult to work with. In this case, let the mixture sit for a while and settle, then beat vigorously with a silicone spatula until smooth.).
11. Add green and red food coloring. Beat until evenly distributed and a rich, dark green color is achieved. Place the icing in a resealable plastic bag and snip a corner to make a tiny hole (or fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch tip with the icing).
12. To make Christmas ballsPipe a dot of icing onto the top of each "tree" and attach a mini chocolate drop covered in sprinkles. Then, to create a Christmas tree, pipe green zigzags onto the cookies. Scatter white sprinkles over them to simulate snow. Let the decorations harden at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
    
    
    Note
    
    When measuring flour, scoop it into a measuring cup using a spoon. The flour should fall freely into the measuring cup; run a knife over the top and scrape off any excess. Scooping directly from the package compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods..