Peanut Butter and Pretzel Log Cabins
- an 18-ounce jar creamy peanut butter at room temperature
- two 11- to 12-ounce bags thin pretzel sticks (each about 3 inches long)
- flat-leafed parsley sprigs for trees
- thin slivers of red bell pepper for campfire flames
- Put about 1 cup peanut butter in a resealable plastic bag and seal bag, pressing out excess air.
- Squeeze peanut butter to one corner of bag and snip off 1/8 inch from corner to form a makeshift pastry bag.
- (Do not use a real pastry bag.)
- Secure 2 pretzels to a serving board or plate with dabs of peanut butter, arranging them parallel to each other about 2 inches apart, and pipe peanut butter alone top of them, beginning and ending 1/4 inch from each end of pretzel.
- Put 2 pretzels across base to form a square, arranging them 1/4 inch from ends and pressing them into peanut butter.
- Continue building sides of log cabin in same manner, using peanut butter as mortar, until log cabin is 6 pretzels high on all sides.
- To make roof supports, secure an upright pretzel in center of each of 2 shorter cabin walls, attaching them to inside walls with peanut butter.
- Break 2 pretzels in half and prop 2 halves at a 45F.
- angle against each upright support, securing ends with peanut butter to top of upright and to cabin corners.
- Beginning at base of roof, arrange pretzels across roof supports, piping peanut butter on each pretzel before attaching it and attaching each succeeding pretzel to an opposite side of roof.
- Make 7 more cabins in same manner with remaining pretzels and peanut butter.
- Cabins may be made 1 day ahead and chilled.
- Glue 3 pretzels together lengthwise with peanut butter to form a thick trunk and glue 3 broken pretzels of varying lengths to lower end of trunk.
- Glue parsley sprigs to trunk with more peanut butter.
- Make 7 more trees in same manner.
- Use a dab of peanut butter on serving board or plate to stand tree upright.
- Glue broken pretzels in a campfire pattern with peanut butter on serving board or plate in front of cabin and glue red pepper flames to inside of campfire.
- Make 7 more campfires in same manner.
peanut butter, flatleafed parsley sprigs, thin slivers
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/peanut-butter-and-pretzel-log-cabins-10184 (may not work)