Christmas Tree Cutout Cookies

Cream together the butter and sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Add the extracts, then scrape down the sides.

Add the sifted flour and mix until crumbles form.

Continue mixing until a smooth dough ball forms.

Cut the dough in half and add each piece to a sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap completely, press into a disc, then refrigerate.

Use a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to roll out the dough until it's ¼" thick. Use a cookie cutter or template and cut out the desired shapes from the shortbread dough. Squish the scraps, re-roll, and cut out more trees.

Use an offset spatula to transfer the cookies to a parchment lined baking sheet, then bake until lightly browned. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before trying to remove them, otherwise, they will fall apart!

Cream the butter, then add the sifted powdered sugar until a thick paste forms. Then, drizzle in the liquid and extracts while beating.

Beat the buttercream until it's light and fluffy, scraping down the sides once during the process.

Separate the icing into three separate bowls. Keep one white, then add small amounts of green to the other two bowls, mixing until the desired colors are formed - one light green, and one darker green.

Add the piping bags (or zip top bags) to a drinking glass and fold the tops over, then add each color to the glass.

Snip off a ½cm piece from the tip of the piping bag, and add 5 small dollops to the base of the tree.

Use an offset spatula to gently push down in the center of the dollop, then pull toward you to smooth out the frosting.

Add an additional row of dark green, followed by two rows of light green.

End with one dollop of white. Run the side of the offset spatula on the edges of the cookies to remove any excess icing that may have fallen over the edges.

Add a star to the top of the tree, I find that tweezers allow for the best control.

Sprinkle on any additional stars or sprinkles you'd like, then enjoy!