Chocolate Christmas Tree Cookies

Chocolate Christmas tree cookies are a no bake decorating project built from peanut butter cups, chocolate kisses and store bought sugar cookies. That makes them an easy Christmas activity for kids, a class party or a last minute cookie tray, since the oven never goes on.

Let the chilled chocolate sit 10 minutes after unwrapping before any icing touches it. Cold chocolate meeting warm air pulls a film of condensation, and piped icing beads and slips on a damp surface instead of gripping.

The trick is stacking a miniature peanut butter cup under a chocolate kiss, so the grooved sides of the cup become the branches and the kiss becomes the point. An upturned water glass gives you a parchment turntable at eye level, which is why the piped lines come out straight.

Buy less frosting than the list says. A full cup across twelve cookies works out at 20 grams each, which on a two and a half inch circle sits almost 6 millimeters deep. Half a cup gives a sensible 3 millimeters and still looks like snow.

FAQs

Why does my icing slide off the chocolate?

The chocolate is too cold. Refrigerating helps the wrappers come away cleanly, which is why the recipe asks for it, but the moment cold chocolate hits room air it fogs with condensation. Unwrap them chilled, then give them 10 minutes on the counter before you pipe.

How much frosting do I really need?

About half a cup for twelve cookies. The full cup the recipe lists is 20 grams a cookie, and spread over a two and a half inch circle that is a layer nearly 6 millimeters thick. Half that gives roughly 3 millimeters, which holds the tree without swamping the cookie.

How long does the green icing take to set?

Thirty to forty minutes for pouch cookie icing to firm enough to move. The recipe lists an hour total and an hour active, which leaves nothing for setting, so plan on closer to an hour and forty. Build all twelve trees first and they set while you work.

Is this really easy enough for children?

The stacking and the sprinkles are, and that is the fun part. The piping is less so, since twelve trees means around 132 thin lines up the grooves. Let children stack and sprinkle while an adult pipes, or hand them a thicker tip and accept rustic trees.

Can I use homemade cookies instead of store bought?

Yes, and a plain round cookie about three inches across is ideal, baked flat so the tree sits level. Our sugar cookies give you the right base without any spread. For another candy decorating project, our gingerbread reindeer use the same kind of assembly.