Green Acres Christmas Tree Farm

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Kids love these cookies! [photo by Taste of Home

18-36 Servings Prep: 1-1/2 hours Bake: 10 min. + cooling

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Green gel or paste food coloring
• FROSTING:
• 4-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Green gel or paste food coloring
• Assorted decorating sprinkles and white edible glitter

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
• Divide dough in half. Tint half of the dough green; knead well to distribute color evenly. Leave remaining dough white. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Use tree-shaped cookie cutters with identical shapes, measuring 2-1/2 in., 3 in., 4 in. and 4-1/2 in. Cut out an even number of cookies with each size cookie cutter.
• Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately cut half of each size tree cookies in half from top to bottom. If tree cookie cutters have trunks, trim trunks off trees, creating a flat base. Remove to wire racks to cool.
• For frosting, in a large bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, water, meringue powder, vanilla and cream of tartar. Beat on high speed for 8-10 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Divide frosting in half. Tint half of the frosting green; leave remaining frosting white. Cover frosting with damp paper towels or plastic wrap between uses.
• To make four-sided garland trees (on top in photo at left): Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or resealable plastic bag; insert round pastry tip #5. Fill with green or white frosting to match the tree you are decorating. Pipe a line of frosting along the cut edge of one of the halved cookies (see Photo 1); press frosted edge along center of a matching whole cookie. Repeat. Let dry until firm.
• Stand up partially assembled trees. Attach one matching cookie half to the opposite side of the tree by piping frosting along the center of the whole cookie (see Photo 2). Let dry completely.
• Using another pastry or resealable plastic bag, medium star pastry tip #21 and either white or green frosting, pipe garlands around sides of trees. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Let dry completely.
• To make fuller trees (top right and lower left in photo at left): Assemble trees as described for four-sided garland trees, using white or green cookies. Using matching colored frosting, attach four cookie halves, one size smaller than assembled tree cookies. Let trees dry completely. Decorate using either the garland or snow-tipped technique. Dry completely.
• To make snow-tipped trees (at lower left in photo at left): Assemble trees as described for fuller trees using green cookies. Using another pastry or resealable plastic bag, large round pastry tip #8 and white frosting, pipe snow on tips of branches. Sprinkle with edible glitter. Let dry completely.
• To make glazed trees (at lower right in photo at left): In a small bowl, thin 1 cup green frosting with 2-3 tablespoons water until frosting reaches pourable consistency. Place matching pairs of whole and halved cookies on a wire rack over waxed paper. Pour icing over cookies; spread with a metal spatula to completely cover top and sides of cookies. Let dry completely. Assemble, using garland tree method; let dry. Decorate as desired. Yield: 6 dozen cookies (or 18-36 cookie trees, depending on fullness of trees).
• Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 181 calories, 5 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 25 mg cholesterol, 85 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 2 g protein.

Christmas Tree Cookies published in Country Woman Christmas Annual 2004, p51

Make a Fresh Cut

Make a fresh cut on the butt of the tree to open up the pores, which have been clogged by sap. Cut off at least one-half inch. The fresh-cut surface should be cream-white, not yellow or brown. If you do not make a fresh cut, the tree will not be able to drink water.

After the cut is made, put the tree in water as soon as possible. The longer the time between when the tree is given a fresh cut and when it is put into water, the less ability the tree has to absorb water.

Even if a hole is drilled to accommodate a pin-type stand, a fresh cut also should be made on the butt.

Put in Water

Check stands for leaks.

Rinse water reservoir of the tree stand with a mixture of one capful of bleach and one cup of water before inserting the tree. This reduces the growth of microorganisms that can block the tree’s ability to absorb water. Great care should be taken to avoid spilling or splashing the bleach on carpeting, etc.

Place the tree in a sturdy stand, which will hold at least one gallon of water. Fill with plain water.

If the tree is not going into the house soon after purchase, it should be stored in a bucket of warm water on a cool porch or patio away from wind and sun in warm climates and protected from freezing and wind in cold climates.

An average tree may consume between a quart and a gallon of water per day.

If the water level drops below the cut end of the trunk, a seal will form and the tree will absorb no more water unless another fresh cut is made. So don’t forget to add water every day.

Christmas Trees Take on A New Life After the Holidays
Christmas trees are more than just the celebration of life during the holidays; they’re a source of life after it. Each year more consumers are discovering the recyclable, renewable benefits of real Christmas trees.

Real Christmas trees, unlike artificial ones, which aren’t biodegradable and will remain in landfills for centuries after they’re disposed of, can provide something back to the environment in a variety of ways:

Christmas trees are biodegradable – the trunk and branches can be used as mulch for gardens, parks or in animal stalls. The mulch provides a protect barrier for the roots of other plants and vegetation while preventing weeds from growing. The mulch then decomposes, providing the nutrients plants need to thrive.

Mulching programs are a fast-growing trend in communities throughout the state. Check with your local department of public works for information.

Some communities use Christmas trees to make effective sand and soil erosion barriers, especially at beaches and on riverbeds. Sunk into private fish ponds trees make excellent refuge and feeding area for fish. Before recycling, Christmas trees can be used to make bird feeders, adding color and excitement to the winter garden. Utilize orange slices, suet, and seed to attract the birds. They will come for the food and stay for the shelter in the branches.

Important: Never burn your Christmas tree in a fireplace or wood stove. Burning the tree may contribute to creosote buildup.