Food Topiaries

Presentation is everything. That's why I love to incorporate interesting food displays into entertaining. With one of the major holiday icons being a Christmas tree, what better tool to use than the foam craft cone, to create lovely food displays? You can begin with an appetizer tree. Who wouldn't want to eat their veggies when they are artfully presented as a Christmas tree? Display cheese truffles on a cone covered with cream cheese (wrap the foam first in plastic or saran wrap) and crackers. And how about a shrimp cocktail tree?!!

Moving on to dessert, you can present chocolate truffles, dipped strawberries, and donut holes on these cone forms. The donut holes and plain strawberries would be perfect for brunch also.

Finally, you may want to set out an array of candy trees for a fantastic kid's party or "Sugarplum Fairy" party. Attach hard candy, like peppermints, with frosting, stick lollipops into the ribbon-wrapped foam, or insert toothpicks into gumdrops.

All these ideas can be easily executed using picks and frosting or cream cheese. Go ahead and create your own Christmas Food Tree!