1- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to get things going, and in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices for even distribution. Using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, blend the melted butter, sugar, molasses, and eggs until well combined, then add 4 cups of the flour mixture and mix before incorporating the remaining flour at low speed until a firm, non-sticky dough forms.

2- roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface and use a set of ten graduated star cookie cutters, ranging from 8 inches to 2 inches, to cut two cookies of each size, totaling 20 cookies. Chill these shapes on parchment-lined sheets for 10 minutes to make them easier to handle. For baking, place smaller to medium-sized cookies in the oven for 6 to 10 minutes and the large ones for 10 to 15 minutes, ensuring even baking by cooking medium and small ones together if needed.

3- cool the cookies completely before moving on to decoration. Knead and roll the fondant to 1/8 inch thickness, then cut two stars of each size using the same cutters, lightly brush the cooled cookies with piping gel, and adhere the fondant stars. Press one multicolor dragee on each star point and let it set for 20 minutes for a polished look.

4- beat the meringue powder, confectioners’ sugar, and warm water until stiff peaks form, which takes about 5 minutes at high speed. Assemble the cookie tree on a flat platter or cake board by starting with the largest star, using dots of royal icing between layers and offsetting the points for a dynamic shape. Finish by standing the smallest star upright at the top, piping icing to hold the second smallest in place, and allow the whole tree to dry for about 2 hours until firm.