• all-purpose flour 3 cups
• salt 1/2 tsp.
• ground ginger 1 1/2 tsp.
• ground cinnamon 2 tsp.
• ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp.
• unsalted butter, room temperature 6 Tbsp.
• dark brown sugar 3/4 cup
• large egg 1
• molasses 1/2 cup
• vanilla 2 tsp.
• finely grated citrus zest 1 tsp.
• Pirouline cookies 24
• white chocolate chips 1/2 cup
• shortening 2 tsp.
• Optional green food coloring, oil or gel based preferably
• Optional mini M&M candies

Step 1

Place Piroulines in freezer to chill while making cookie dough.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Step 3

To make dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.

Step 4

Add the egg, and mix until incorporated.

Step 5

Mix in molasses, vanilla, and citrus zest until incorporated.

Step 6

Slowly stir in the flour mixture until your dough begins to ball together.

Step 7

Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface to 1/4″ thickness. Using tree cutter, cut out cookie shapes. Due to the lack of baking powder or baking soda these cookies shouldn’t spread at all, so you can place them relatively close to each other on a greased baking sheet, an inch or so apart.

Step 8

Remove Piroulines from freezer and trim, if necessary, to fit your cookie shapes. Bake gingerbread for 3 minutes, remove from oven and place a Pirouline cookie across the middle of each tree where the “trunk” would be. Place cookies back in oven and continue to bake for another 5-6 minutes.

Step 9

Let cool on sheet for five minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 10

While cookies are cooling, melt white chocolate chips and shortening together in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time, stirring in between each interval, until it’s smooth and clump free. If using green food coloring, stir in desired amount at this point.

Step 11

Transfer melted chocolate to a Ziplock bag, snip off a small corner piece and pipe “tree shape” onto gingerbread-Pirouline cookies.

Step 12

Place mini M&M candies in white chocolate, to look like Christmas tree decorations, if desired.

Step 13

Let the cookies cool and chocolate set completely before transferring them to an air-tight container for up to five days.