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Paradise and Pennant Candied Fruit

Candied Cherry Yuletide Centerpiece Tree

This centerpiece will have your guests oohing and aahing, and that’s before they have a taste!Constructed from cookies rich with the flavors of the season, this “tree” is easy to make and assemble.Glace red and green cherries add a sweet taste and festive touch to the cookies and decorations.You don’t have to be an expert baker or cake decorator to create this beautiful tree.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened.
• 3/4 cup sugar.
• 1/3 cup light molasses.
• 1 egg.
• 1 tablespoon water.
• 4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour.
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda.
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground allspice.
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon.
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) Glace Whole Red Cherries, chopped.
• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) Glace Whole Green Cherries, chopped.
• Decorating Frosting (recipe follows).
• Glace Whole Red and Green Cherries.
• Silver dragees.

Directions:

Mix butter, sugar and molasses and heat to boiling in small saucepan, stirring frequently as butter melts. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to large bowl; cool. Mix in egg and water. Mix in combined flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Mix in chopped Glace Cherries. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours.

Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut stars with cookie cutters, making 2 stars in each size. Place star cookies of similar size on same cookie sheet and bake in preheated 350-degree oven until light brown, about 8 minutes. Cool cookies on wire racks.

Roll remaining dough on floured surface into 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out four 1-1/2-inch circles, four 2-1/2-inch circles and four 3-inch circles with cookie cutters. Bake until light brown, about 6 minutes. Cool cookies on wire rack. Make decorating frosting.

To assemble tree centerpiece: Place 1 large star on plate or cardboard round covered with red or green foil wrapping paper. Place a large round cookie in center of star, attaching it with frosting. Stack remaining stars and round cookies in the same manner, progressing from large to small stars (all the stars may not be used depending upon the size tree desired).

Spoon remaining frosting into pastry bag fitted with writing tip. Pipe frosting on stars. Decorate tree with Glace Cherries and silver dragees, attaching with a little frosting.

Makes 1 centerpiece tree..