Chocolate Peppermint Christmas Trees

A simple, minimum-mess way to spruce up you Christmas cakes or cupcakes . . .

Chocolate Peppermint Christmas Trees 
Chocolate Chips (amount depends upon number of trees you plan to make)
Crushed Peppermint Candy
Pretzel Sticks
Other: plastic storage/freezer bag that can be sealed & wax paper

1. Simple, minimum mess way to melt and pipe chocolate -- Place chocolate chips in a plastic storage/freezer bag. Place bag with chips in microwave and heat for just a minute or two -- until chocolate chips melt. Squeeze chocolate to one of the pointed ends of the bag. Make a small snip at the tip -- just large enough to be able to pipe.
2. Arrange wax paper on a tray and pipe tree shapes on the paper. 
3. Push a pretzel stick into the "tree," allowing part of pretzel to extend (it becomes the tree trunk and what is inserted into the cake/cupcakes; pipe with a little more chocolate as needed. Sprinkle with crushed peppermints (sprinkles, etc.)
4. Let set (or refrigerate) until firm.
   
5. Then, insert trunk of tree into cake or cupcakes.

Chocolate Peppermint Christmas Trees decorate
our Christmas Meringue Cake.

Recipe without photos . . .
Chocolate Peppermint Christmas Trees 
Chocolate Chips (amount depends upon number of trees you plan to make)
Crushed Peppermint Candy
Pretzel Sticks
Other: plastic storage/freezer bag that can be sealed & wax paper

1. Simple, minimum mess way to melt and pipe chocolate -- Place chocolate chips in a plastic storage/freezer bag. Place bag with chips in microwave and heat for just a minute or two -- until chocolate chips melt. Squeeze chocolate to one of the pointed ends of the bag. Make a small snip at the tip -- just large enough to be able to pipe.
2. Arrange wax paper on a tray and pipe tree shapes on the paper. 
3. Push a pretzel stick into the "tree," allowing part of pretzel to extend (it becomes the tree trunk and what is inserted into the cake/cupcakes; pipe with a little more chocolate as needed. Sprinkle with crushed peppermints (sprinkles, etc.)
4. Let set (or refrigerate) until firm.
5. Then, insert trunk of tree into cake or cupcakes.