Pat Egan's Christmas Tree Cookies

== Description ==
These second-place winning cookies are easily shaped into trees that are edged with glittery green sugar. Of her simple cookies, Pat Egan of Dolton, Illinois writes, "They're not a fancy or gourmet cookie, but a simple symbol of the Christmas season that is so close to my heart." 
* Source: Chicago Tribune Annual Food Guide holiday cookie contest December 8, 1988.
* Preparation time: 20 minutes | chilling time: 4 hours | baking time: 10 minutes 
== Ingredients ==
* 2½ cups flour
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
* 1½ tsp baking powder
* ¼ tsp salt
* ½ tsp almond extract
* 1 egg
* ¼ cup green sugar crystals
* about ¼ cup confetti or nonpareil candy decorations, optional
== Directions ==
# Put all ingredients except decorative sugar/nonpareils into the large bowl of an electric mixer.
# Mix together, using low speed. (Dough will be crumbly)
# Knead dough with hands until mixture holds together.
# Remove ⅓ cup of the dough; wrap and refrigerate.
# Divide remaining dough in thirds, and roll each into a 6-inch log. Note: the logs can be divided and shaped into 3 sizes and sliced to form a 3-tiered tree.
# Put sugar crystals on a sheet of wax paper.
# Roll each log in the sugar crystals to coat well; use the wax paper as a guide to press in crystals.
# Shape each log into a triangle, pressing gently on wax paper to give three sharp corners.
# Make sure to make 2 sides longer than the third side.
# Wrap each log well and refrigerate at least 4 hours or until dough is firm enough to slice.
# To this point, cookies can be made up to a week in advance.
# Heat oven to 350°F.
# To bake, slice logs crosswise into ¼-inch slices.
# Put slices about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
# For each cookie, shape about ½ teaspoon of the reserved ⅓ cup dough into a tree trunk.
# Attach to bottom underside of each tree.
# Sprinkle each cookie lightly with candy decorations, if desired.
# Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
# Carefully remove to wire racks.
# Cool completely.
Category:Celebrity Recipes
Category:Christmas Cookies
Category:Cookie Recipes
Category:Almond extract Recipes