Edible Snowy Chocolate Pine cones

I love the fact that these pine cones are not only a beautiful and natural looking  winter treat but they are delicious!  They are one of the pretty sweets you can give  this season.

These chocolate edible pine cones will dress up  your dessert table, or be welcomed tied up in a clear cellophane bag to treat someone.   Since there is no cooking involved this would be a great holiday treat to make with the kids from start to finish. In less than half an hour you could have enough to fill a forest floor or share with the class.

Edible Snowy Chocolate Pine cones

Yields: 6 servings

Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

3 cups Chocolate Fiber One Cereal (can also use Chex Chocolate Cereal)

6 pretzel rods

½ cup peanut butter

¼ cup Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar (+ ¼ cup for dusting on top)

Directions:

Mix the peanut butter, Nutella, butter and powdered sugar in a bowl

Take a pretzel rod and mold some of the mixture around it, forming a slight cone shape

Hold it steady by using the tip of the pretzel as a handle, and start inserting pieces of cereal into the mixture in a symmetrical pattern around the stick. Add more cereal pieces, staggering them as you move upward until you get near the top.

If the pine cone is getting too tall, cut off the top of the pretzel and add more of the mixture to mold over the top so none of the broken pretzel is showing.

Break apart cereal pieces to create smaller scales near the top.

For a “snowy” effect, dust each pine cone with powdered sugar.