Chocolate Christmas Trees Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and kosher salt. Add the granulated sugar, melted butter, vanilla and eggs and whisk until a few lumps remain. Stir in the chocolate chunks.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar and flake salt. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
• Cut the brownie in half. Using the tip of a knife, slice in angles making W's with the cut to form triangular pieces. Remove each piece and decorate with frosting and sprinkles as desired.

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:

• Carefully unwrap the peanut butter cups, making sure no chocolate comes off on the wrapper (refrigerating them first will help prevent this). Unwrap the chocolate kisses.
• Cut out twelve 2-inch parchment squares. Turn a water glass upside down and place one of the parchment squares on the flat bottom. Place a peanut butter cup on the parchment, wide-side down. Pipe a dot of green icing on top of the peanut butter cup and place a chocolate kiss on top. Pipe green icing branches onto the chocolate "tree." Starting at the bottom of the peanut butter cup, pipe a thin, straight line up one of its grooves and up to the tip of the chocolate kiss. Repeat, piping a line up every groove of the peanut butter cup and over the chocolate kiss, connecting the lines at the tip. Press a star sprinkle onto the tip of the assembled tree and decorate with silver pearl sprinkles, pressing them gently to adhere. Carefully slide the parchment with the tree off the glass and let the icing set. Repeat to create 11 additional trees.
• Using a butter knife or a small offset spatula, spread a layer of vanilla frosting over each sugar cookie in a circle, leaving the edges plain. Carefully place a candy Christmas tree in the center of each cookie.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut 1-inch holes out of the bottom of a large inverted foil roasting pan in neat rows, leaving 1 to 2 inches in between the holes. Invert the pan and place paper cooler cups in the holes to hold them upright during baking.
• Sift together the 3 cups sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Transfer to a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer) and blend briefly. Whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Add to the dry ingredients and mix at low speed for 5 minutes. Gradually add the hot water, mixing at low speed just until combined. The batter will be quite thin.
• Pour the batter into the cups. Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay) and the center feels firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan. Chill for 2 hours then peel off the paper being careful not to tear off the tip of the peak.
• Place cakes on a rack over a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and with a fork drizzle both colors of chocolate then stick on M & M's and silver dragee to look like ornaments on a little Xmas tree.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll out one puff pastry sheet into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface and place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Lightly score puff pastry into the shape of a Christmas tree (triangle) with a wide base. Spread chocolate-hazelnut spread over the triangle in a thin layer with the back of a spoon.
• Roll out the second sheet of puff pastry to a large rectangle and place on top of the first one. Carefully trace the shape of the chocolate covered triangle underneath and cut out the Christmas tree shape and the trunk. Pull away excess pastry.
• Lightly score 2 lines down the middle of the triangle to form a tree trunk that is narrower at the top and gets wider towards the base. Using the trunk as a guide, cut branches into the sides of the triangle.
• Twist the branches away from you, trying to get in 2 turns on the lower branches. Continue moving up the tree, twisting away from you as you go.
• Cut a small star out of the excess pastry; place on top of the tree. Brush the star and tree with beaten egg.
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffy and golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Slide onto a serving plate, using a piece of parchment paper if needed.

Steps:

• Place chocolate in a microwave-proof bowl. Melt on Medium (50% power)for 3-4 minutes, stirring every minute. Add Rice Bubbles and coconut. Stir to combine.
• On a sheet of baking paper, spoon or pipe mixture into a cross shape. You will need 6 crosses in graduation sizes. Chill in refrigerator for 20 minutes, until firm. Reserve ramaining chocolate mixture.
• Place the largest cross on a flat board or serving plate. Spoon a little of the remaining chocolate into the centre. Sit the next cross on top, pressing down lightly to secure. (Place each cross in different directions). Continue with remaining crosses, finishing with the smallest. Chill in refrigerator for 20 mins to set.
• Dust with icing sugar. Top with a shortbread star if desired.

Steps:

• Draw multiple Christmas tree outlines (1 1/2 to 2 inches high) on a piece of paper. You can also trace around a cookie cutter.
• Put the paper with the drawings on a cookie sheet. Lay a piece of wax paper on top. You don't have to use a cookie sheet, but it allows you to move the trees before they are set.
• Heat the chocolate and shortening in a saucepan over lot heat (or microwave). Stirring frequently until melted. Pour into decorating bag with a plain tip or into a ziploc bag with a corner snipped.
• Pip chocolate tree outline and fill in center with random branches. IMMEDIATELY place a toothpick at the bottom of the tree, about 1/3 - 1/4 inch into the base of the tree.
• Sprinkle with edible glitter or colored sprinkles if desired.
• Refrigerate until chocolate hardens.