Spiced golden gingerbread stars stack to form this gorgeous holiday centerpiece. A much-loved festive sweet treat in Louise’s house, a production line of cookies gets underway with all big and little hands on deck. Cookies are cooled and stored, so the tree can be easily assembled for parties or as a gift. No wonky chimneys or soggy walls, just some easy gingerbread-magic to capture the spirit of the season.
1Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl and set aside.
2Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, or until well combined and just creamed. Add the molasses and egg and beat to combine. Reduce the speed to low, gradually add the flour mixture, beating to form a firm dough.
3Turn the dough onto the countertop and shape into a ball. Divide into two portions and roll each portion between sheets of parchment paper until 1/8-inch thick. Lightly dust the dough with flour if it starts sticking to the parchment. Place on a tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until firm.
4Insert the wire rack into position 5. Set the oven to Cookies, No fan, 355°F, for 8 minutes and press Start to preheat. Meanwhile, continue to the next step.
5Lightly spray 3 sheet pans with oil and line with parchment paper.
6Using a 10 piece 1¼-inch to 4¾-inch 6-pointed star cookie cutter set, cut 3 stars of each size. Place the stars on the prepared pans, from largest to smallest stars.
Tip: Cut out any leftover dough into gingerbread men shapes.
7Once preheated, place the pan with the largest stars in the oven and cook for 8 minutes. Place the remaining 2 pans in the refrigerator.
8Cookies should just start to color around the edges. If not, cook them a little longer.
9Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the medium-sized stars then the smaller-sized stars.
10Just before assembling, sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Add enough of the boiling water to form a smooth paste. Spoon the icing into a piping bag or resealable plastic bag and snip the tip.
11Stack the stars, starting with the largest to the smallest, alternating the points of the stars, securing each layer with a little icing and finishing by standing the smallest star upright. Stand for 15 minutes, or until the icing has set.