The first couple of years that I was married, I would carefully prepare everything for making gingerbread houses. I would make the special icing, buy an assortment of festive candies, and one year I even baked the gingerbread myself. I wanted everything perfect, so that we would look back fondly on this family Christmas tradition. But no matter how well I prepared, the gingerbread walls would inevitably fracture, the roof would tumble, and our gingerbread house began to resemble a haunted house more than a cheery, holiday cottage.
Once my daughter was born, the yearly gingerbread house activity was more like an elaborate game of “Keep Away”. Her pudgy little fingers would poke holes in the gingerbread and snatch candies in the blink of an eye. By the time we were ready for decorating, she was bored and wiggly. What I had always envisioned as an enjoyable tradition/memory was devolving into a frustrating chore for both our daughter and us.
The next year, I decided to try something different. Instead of a gingerbread house, we were going to make a frosted Christmas tree. At the store, I grabbed sugar cones, frosting, and small, colored candies. We helped my daughter frost her cone, and she loved putting little candies all over her tree. The entire project took less than 15 minutes, so we were all in good spirits by the end. Plus, my daughter enjoyed eating her Christmas confection. From that year on, we have adopted the new tradition of Frosted Christmas trees to the delight of parents and children, alike.
To create your own frosted Christmas trees, you will need:
- Sugar cones
- Green frosting (homemade & store bought both work great)
- Assorted, small, colorful candies like M&Ms, chocolate chips, and sprinkles
Get a flat surface for your sugar cone to rest on.
Using a knife or offset spatula, coat your sugar cone with green frosting. (I’ve found that this is easiest, if you place your hand inside the cone, while you frost.)
Use small candies or sprinkles to decorate your Christmas tree.
Let me know how much your family enjoys making their very own edible Christmas trees.
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Instead of using gingerbread, we use graham crackers- so much easier! Love your idea with the Christmas trees!