1-Preparing Your Dough: Begin by weighing or measuring out your 1 cup of white sugar and setting it aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt. This initial step ensures that your dry ingredients will be evenly distributed throughout the dough, avoiding any pockets of baking powder or salt in your final cookies.

2-Preparing Your Dough: In a mixer, cream together 1 cup of unsalted butter and the 1 cup of white sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, which typically takes about 2-4 minutes. This step is crucial for incorporating air into your dough, which helps create the perfect texture in your cookies.

3-Preparing Your Dough: Once creamed, add 1 egg, 1½ teaspoons of vanilla extract, and 2 drops of green coloring gel; continue mixing until everything is well combined and the dough has taken on a festive green hue.

4-Preparing Your Dough: With the mixer on low speed, slowly add your dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix at this stage, as too much mixing can develop the gluten in the flour and result in tough cookies.

5-Preparing Your Dough: Divide the dough in half, flatten each portion, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This chilling period helps the dough relax and makes it easier to roll out and cut into shapes.

6-Cutting and Baking Your Cookies: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175-180°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.

7-Cutting and Baking Your Cookies: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion of the dough to about 1/8 inch thick. This thickness is ideal for Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies, as it’s thin enough to bake evenly but substantial enough to hold its shape and support decorations.

8-Cutting and Baking Your Cookies: Using a Christmas tree-shaped cookie cutter, press firmly into the dough to create your cookie shapes. Gently remove the excess dough around the cutouts, then carefully transfer the tree shapes to your prepared baking sheet. You can re-roll the remaining dough to cut additional trees until all the dough is used up.

9-Cutting and Baking Your Cookies: Place about 12 tree cutouts on each parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a little space between them for spreading.

10-Cutting and Baking Your Cookies: Bake the cookies at 350°F for 7-9 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn a light golden color. Be careful not to overbake, as this will result in dry cookies rather than the soft, chewy texture you want.

11-Cutting and Baking Your Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for one minute before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. This brief rest on the hot pan allows the cookies to set slightly, making them easier to move without breaking.