In a large bowl, combine all the shortbread cookie ingredients. Mix until it starts to ball together and forms a soft, streak-free dough. Knead lightly with your hands if necessary.

Lay down a piece of parchment paper and lightly dust with flour. Drop the cookie dough onto it and lightly flour the top. Roll the dough out until it's a little over ¼ inch thick, adding flour as needed.

Lift the parchment paper and the dough onto a large baking sheet and place into the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes until firm.

Line another large baking sheet with parchment paper. Take the chilled dough out of the freezer and cut into sticks about 3 inches long and ¼ to ½ inch wide.

Arrange the cookie sticks on the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch of space between each one. Place the cut cookies back into the freezer for another 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325F. Bake the cookies in the center for 8 to 11 minutes until lightly browned along the edges. Cool completely on the baking sheet before decorating.

Arrange the cooled cookie sticks on a large parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 4 inches of distance between each one.

Melt the chocolate or candy melts using microwave or stove-top instructions.

Set the melted candy aside for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Pour into a piping bag and snip a little off the tip.

Pipe tree branches onto each cookie starting from the middle. If the branches melt, let the candy cool slightly before trying again.

While the candy is still wet, top the tree with sprinkles if desired. Repeat with the remaining cookie sticks.

Freeze the decorated cookie sticks for about 5 to 10 minutes until the candy branches have firmed up and set.