Gingerbread Trees with Juniper Berry Glaze
Festive gingerbread cookies shaped like trees, spiced with ginger, allspice, and cinnamon, then decorated with a unique juniper berry glaze. These elegant holiday cookies combine traditional gingerbread flavors with sophisticated juniper notes.
Ingredients
- •2¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour
- •1 teaspoon ground ginger
- •1 teaspoon ground allspice
- •½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- •½ teaspoon baking soda
- •½ teaspoon salt
- •1 cup unsalted butter
- •½ cup golden brown sugar
- •¼ cup light molasses
- •¾ cup half and half
- •⅓ cup juniper berries
- •1 pound powdered sugar
- •1 to taste colored sugars
- •1 to taste nonpareils
- •1 to taste dragées
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Whisk first 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in molasses. Beat in dry ingredients. Gather dough; divide into 4 pieces. Shape into disks. Wrap; chill at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
120 min
- 2.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Roll out 1 dough disk to 1/8-inch thickness. Using 3 1/2-inch cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer to sheet. Gather scraps; chill.
15 min
- 3.
Bake cookies until almost firm in center, 12 minutes. Cool on sheets 2 minutes, then cool on racks. Repeat, using all dough. Do ahead Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.
14 min
- 4.
Bring first 2 ingredients to simmer. Cover; chill 5 hours. Strain. Place powdered sugar in bowl. Whisk in half and half by spoonfuls until glaze is spreadable. Frost cookies; decorate. Let stand until glaze sets. Do ahead Store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
300 min