Candy Tree Recipes

Steps:

• Lay pretzel sticks on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Microwave 1 cup green candy melts in 30-second intervals until melted. Transfer to a piping bag; pipe a zigzag tree shape on top of each pretzel stick, leaving the bottom half of the pretzel exposed. Sprinkle with rainbow nonpareils and let set 10 minutes. Make a few extra trees in case some break.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Arrange crackers onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Stir butter and sugar together in a bowl until the sugar dissolves; drizzle over the crackers.
• Bake crackers in preheated oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Spread chocolate chips over the crackers to cover completely immediately after removing the baking sheet from the oven, allowing the residual heat to melt the chocolate. Sprinkle nuts over the chocolate layer before it re-solidifies.
• Cool the bark to room temperature. Once the chocolate is again firm, break the sheet into pieces to resemble tree bark.

Steps:

• Tint frosting green. Place cone on a 9-in. plate; frost the sides and top of cone. Starting at the bottom, alternate peppermint and spearmint candies around the cone in a single row. Alternate red and green gumdrops in a row above candies. , Arrange remaining candies in rows around the cone until reaching the top. Position a mint candy on the tip of the cone; top with a gumdrop.

Steps:

• To make the cookie tree: Refer to the tree template and copy its shape onto a piece of foam core. Use a paring knife to cut out tree shape and discard. Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface. Lay the foam board on top of the parchment paper. Use an offset spatula to spread a 1/4-inch-thick layer of tempered chocolate inside the foam template, careful to coat to the edges. Let the chocolate harden slightly, 4 to 5 minutes. The chocolate will be firm enough to cut, but it will not be hard. Lift the template away from the chocolate tree. Move this finished piece to a clean space on your work surface out of the way. Repeat the process 7 more times so you'll have 8 tree outlines.
• For the support: Roll a piece of parchment paper to make a tube about 1/2-inch in diameter. Tape the paper closed. Fill the tube with tempered white chocolate to six inches. Let the chocolate harden slightly, 4 to 5 minutes. The chocolate will be firm enough to cut, but it will not be hard. Cut 3 pieces of the chocolate tube, each about 2-inches long. These will be used to support the tree when it is glued together.
• To make the base: Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface. Use an offset spatula to spread a 1/4-inch-thick layer of tempered chocolate on the paper. This will be the base for your tree. Let the chocolate harden. You can also paint a piece of cardboard with chocolate to create the base. That will be sturdier and allow you to move it more easily.
• Use the tempered chocolate to "glue" the first tree piece to the base. Join the second tree piece using the small tubes of chocolate for additional support where the tree pieces meet. Continue "gluing" the pieces together until all 8 are assembled. Let stand until the chocolate is dry.
• You can decorate your tree with homemade or store-bought cookies or candy. Use the tempered chocolate to glue the decorations onto the tree. You can string popcorn or cranberries. You can glue mini candy-coated chocolate baking bits onto the tree to represent lights. Use your imagination and have fun!

Steps:

• For the brownies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of two 8-inch round cake pans. Cut two 8-inch circles out of parchment and line the bottoms of the cake pans with the parchment.
• Stir together the butter, granulated sugar, vanilla and eggs in a medium bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and divide the batter between the prepared pans, smoothing the tops. Bake until the brownies begin to gain a crust around the edges, pull away from the edge and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Let the brownies cool fully in the pans on cooling racks, about 1 hour. Cut each circle into 8 equal triangles with a knife. Use a small offset spatula or pie server to lift each triangle out of the pan.
• For the American buttercream frosting: Combine the confectioners' sugar, butter and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld electric mixer). Mix on low speed until mostly incorporated. Add the vanilla, increase the speed to medium-high and mix until smooth. Loosen the consistency with milk as desired. Add 24 drops green food coloring and 1 drop red food coloring and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Set aside.
• To assemble: Using the tip of a paring knife or a skewer, poke a small hole along the bottom edge of each brownie. Insert a candy cane "trunk" into each hole.
• Fill the piping bag with the frosting and cut 1/4 inch off the tip. Using a zig-zag motion, pipe the frosting from the base to the tip of each tree. Decorate the trees with the sanding sugars and candy-covered chocolate, as desired.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment.
• With a short side of the prepared baking sheet facing you, arrange the white candy melting wafers on the prepared sheet tray in a 9-by-10-inch rectangle, leaving an empty 5 1/2-by-7-by-7-inch triangle in the center (vertically; this will be the Christmas tree). Fill the triangle with the green candy melting wafers. Place in the oven until the candy melting wafers are glossy and begin to melt, 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately use a small offset spatula to smooth and spread the white candy melting wafers. Use a clean small offset spatula to spread and smooth the green melting wafers. Go back over the triangle in small downward textured strokes to create the appearance of branches on a Christmas tree.
• Arrange the candy-coated chocolates in a decorative pattern across the tree to create a string of lights. Arrange the 5 yellow chocolates at the top of the tree in the shape of a star, setting each chocolate on its edge. Decorate the remaining space on the tree with gold sugar pearl sprinkles
• If using gingersnap cookies, break them into bite-size pieces. Decorate the white space around the tree with the whole gingerbread men or gingersnap cookie pieces, yogurt-covered pretzels, candied ginger and holiday sprinkles, leaving just a little white space in between. Let the bark sit at room temperature until fully set, about 45 minutes.
• To serve, break the bark into bite-size pieces.

Steps:

• Decorate beaded tree form with candy and ribbons.

Steps:

• Decorate beaded tree form with candy and ribbons.