Recipes
Pretzel Christmas trees
30 minutes
Preparation time
5
Cooking time
Makes 8
Serves
Ingredients
8 pretzel sticks
800 g good-quality milk chocolate
20 ml water
Silver and gold metallic edible balls
Method
- Prepare a piping bag by fitting it with an 8 mm star tip, then set aside until required.
- Arrange the pretzel sticks on a lined baking tray, ensuring they have a lot of space around them.
- Temper the chocolate by placing it into a saucepan on medium-low heat, induction setting 4. Stir continuously until you have 50% solids and 50% liquid. Transfer the chocolate into a heat-proof plastic bowl and stir vigorously until the solids have completely melted.
- Add the water to the tempered chocolate and mix to combine. This will thicken the chocolate and help it hold its shape.
- Working quickly, transfer the chocolate into the prepared piping bag and pipe in a zigzag pattern starting small at the top of the pretzel sticks, gradually widening as you go to create a Christmas tree shape, leaving 20-30 mm of pretzel exposed at the bottom.
- Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle the surface with silver and gold edible balls.
- Place into the refrigerator for 15 minutes to set, then bring back to room temperature.
Hints and tips
- The pretzels can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
- This recipe was developed by Kirsten for her series ‘The Chocolate Queen’.
Applicance Functions
Kirsten Tibballs
Kirsten Tibballs, proclaimed by MasterChef Australia as ‘the Queen of Chocolate’, is one of Australia’s most celebrated and internationally respected pastry chefs and chocolatiers.
With a desire to pass on her knowledge to other passionate food lovers and professional pastry chefs, Kirsten established Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School in 2002 in Brunswick, Melbourne. Savour creates an opportunity for students to learn from and work alongside their award-winning chefs. It boasts a state of the art kitchen and hosts a number of renowned international pastry chefs each year.