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1
Preheat oven to 325&;deg;F. Using electric mixer, beat unsalted butter in large bowl until light.
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2
Gradually beat in powdered sugar.
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3
Beat in vanilla extract.
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4
Add flour and salt and mix just until combined.
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5
Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk.
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6
Wrap disk in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.
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7
Roll out dough on floured work surface to 1/8-inch thickness, frequently lifting and turning dough to prevent sticking.
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8
Using 5-inch Christmas tree cookie cutter, cut out cookies.
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9
Gather dough scraps together.
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10
Repeat rolling and cutting dough scraps to make 10 cookies total.
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11
Transfer cookies to 2 heavy large baking sheets, spacing apart.
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12
Bake until cookies begin to brown around edges, about 15 minutes.
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13
Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes.
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14
Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely.
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15
Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth.
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16
Divide melted chocolate among 3 small bowls.
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17
Working quickly so that chocolate does not harden, mix 8 drops blue food coloring into 1 bowl.
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18
Spread blue chocolate evenly over surface of cookies.
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19
Mix 8 drops green food coloring into second bowl of melted chocolate.
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20
Mix 8 drops red food coloring into third bowl of melted chocolate.
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21
Spoon green chocolate into plastic bag.
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22
Cut off 1 bottom tip of bag to allow small ribbon of chocolate to come out.
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23
Repeat procedure with pink chocolate and another plastic bag.
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24
Using green chocolate, pipe 4 diagonal lines from left to right across cookies, spacing evenly.
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25
Using pink chocolate, pipe 4 diagonal lines from left to right across cookies, alongside green lines.
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26
Repeat with diagonal lines going from right to left.
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27
Let cookies stand until chocolate sets, about 2 hours.
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28
(Can be prepared 3 days ahead.
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29
Store cookies between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container at room temperature.)
