Chocolate Christmas Tree

This is a very simple chocolate tree. The tree can make a centrepiece to decorate the table and is also a good gift. The cone may be solid chocolate or chocolate combined with nuts, dried fruits, rocky road or other sweets. If it is a gift personalise it by choosing fillings that the recipient likes. I have made rocky road, licorice, coconut rough and nut trees for adults, however, lolly 'snakes' chopped into small pieces were a popular filling with young people.

Very easy to make as a single tree or for a production line for those who need several. They are a good activity for older children, I made these every year with secondary school students as a fun activity at the end of the school year and found that each year students were expecting to make them. I recall one student telling me that "you need presents under the tree"  and he had come prepared with ' licorice allsorts' to decorate the base of his tree.

To make the tree you need to first create a cone from Contact book covering film.

Cut a square of the contact in half to form two triangles. This square was approximately 45 cm and makes a large cone. You can create a variety of sizes by altering the size of the square.

Roll each triangle around your hand to make a cone shape and carefully slide the edges to form a point. Secure with a staple at the top and a piece of tape. The shiny side on the inside as this will create a non stick surface for the chocolate.

Stand the contact cone in a vase or jar. It needs to be tall enough to support the cone when it is full of melted chocolate.

Melt 400g of dark chocolate. I use the microwave. Add 150g chopped snakes or whatever filling you like, making sure that the pieces are about the size of peanut and mix well.

Pour chocolate mixture into the cone and tap or jiggle to make sure that it has gone to the bottom of the cone. Refrigerate until set.

When set carefully unwrap the cone. The contact can be wiped over and reused.

Trim the bottom if necessary, just enough to make it sit flat.

Stand the cone on a piece of cooking parchment. Pipe melted chocolate over the outside of the cone to create bark and allow to set.

Repeat the process with white chocolate to create snow Add a star if you can find one. These are from a strand of Christmas garland that I purchased in the christmas sales. 

Decorate with some silver ball cake decorations. The chocolate bark needs to be just setting. 

Stand the cone on a piece of silver foil covered cardboard. I attachttach the cone to a board covered with foil with some melted chocolate so that it doesn't slide off the board. When set the tree can be wrapped in cellophane. Store in the fridge. The cone needs to come to room temperature to be cut up.

Cut the cone into slices and then small pieces, use a large/heavy cooks knife.