'Tis the season of decking halls and trimming trees, and now there's a delicious way to do both in the kitchen.

There's no chance of breaking heirloom ornaments when you're decorating miniature festive popcorn trees made from The Popcorn Board's recipe. Roll up your sleeves, gather the kids and pull out your prettiest decorating sugars and sprinkles. Then turn marshmallows and popcorn into a scenic winter wonderland to display or eat.

Long ago, Christmas trees were trimmed with treats such as apples, nuts or dates. With festive popcorn trees, your entire tree is edible. There's no right or wrong way to decorate a tree, but if you're not happy with the results, eat it and start again. It's the ultimate eco-friendly way to trim a tree.


Festive popcorn trees

Yields 10 trees

10 cups air-popped popcorn

1 10-ounce bag miniature marshmallows

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Decorating sugar (green, blue)

1 tube of white frosting (with decorating tip)

Assorted small colorful candies, such as sprinkles and miniature silver dragŽes



Notes: It's important that this recipe starts with unflavored white popcorn for best color and flavor. You can make your own colored sugar by adding food coloring to sugar, stirring in a bowl or shaking vigorously in a sealed container. Add more food coloring for more intense tones.

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