A Sweet Christmas Collection

Each Christmas, terrain Art Director Laura T. makes the charming cookies above using a unique collection: vintage tree cookie cutters in all shapes and sizes. We're big fans of these colorful treats (and we've snacked on more than a few this season!), so we caught up with Laura to learn more about her holiday tradition. 

She says, "I've collected these vintage tree cutters over the years, and use them every Christmas to make a big batch of cookies. I usually make the cookies in three stages over the course of a few weeks. First, I mix three different types of dough: vanilla, chocolate, and gingerbread (my mom's family gingerbread recipe is below). For the chocolate cookies, use Dutch process cocoa to make them extra-dark for contrast with the other colors. I roll the dough into two disk shapes per recipe, then store it in the fridge or freezer until I'm ready to bake. I spend another night baking all the cookies, then the next night decorating them. For decorating, I taught myself how to make royal icing -- the secret to royal icing success is using meringue powder! To make the cookies extra sweet and fun, I like to mix in an unexpected holiday color, like pink, with more traditional greens and whites."

Laura's Gingerbread Cookies
1 cup butter or margarine
5 cups plain flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup dark molasses
1 teaspoon each: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger
2 eggs, well-beaten
1 teaspoon vinegar

In a saucepan, cream 1 cup butter with 1 cup sugar. Add 1/2 cup dark molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Mix well. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool. When lukewarm, stir in eggs and vinegar. Sift flour with baking soda and stir in molasses mixture to form a smooth dough. Chill for several hours or overnight. When ready to bake, divide dough into six portions. Roll out on aluminum foil. Cut out with cookie cutter, removing any excess dough. Place foil on baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.