A topiary is probably one of the most impressive things you can have at your party. It instantly adds a visually stunning element to your food table and can double as décor. This season, try putting together a strawberry topiary. Not only will it add some fresh variety to your dessert table, but the red color of the strawberries will add the perfect touch if your party is Christmas-themed. Served along a simple dipping sauce, it’s sure to be the hit of your party. Here’s how to make one:
What You Need:
3 lbs. of strawberries
1 styrofoam cone (9”x3-7/8”)
Toothpicks
1 pkg. blueberries (optional)
Confectioner’s sugar (optional)
What to Do:
Cut off the step ends of the strawberries. Wash and dry them completely.
Place the cone on a small plate or tray that you will you to move your tree around. Break a toothpick in half and insert, broken side down, at the very top of the tree. Place a strawberry securely on the toothpick. Starting from the top down, repeat all the way down and around the cone. If you want, you can fill in any gaps with blueberries as your “ornaments.” A dusting of powdered sugar on the tree also gives the effect of snow.
Tips:
- Start from the top down. The strawberries on the bottom are the most fragile and should be inserted last.
- Angle your toothpicks slightly upward to prevent strawberries from slipping off.
- Use the plate or tray to turn the tree instead of rotating the cone itself. This will cause less friction for the strawberries on the bottom and will prevent them from falling off prematurely.
- Separate the small strawberries from the big ones ahead of time. You can use the smaller ones towards the top of the tree and in places where big ones don’t come together as closely as you would like.
The photos are of my first attempt. It came out pretty good – but I warn you, it requires some patients and a little bit of time (and perhaps even a crafty sister for assistance!). Next time, I’ll be adding the blueberries and powdered sugar, so check back in this weekend for the update.
While you could just serve simple strawberries, an elegant touch is to serve a dipping sauce. While there are endless choices, below are my favorites:
- A mascarpone dip. You could check out Rachel Ray’s recipe or just mix ¼ cup honey to 1 cup of the cheese
- A chocolate sauce. I would recommend something like this. I love, love, love brigadeiros and this would be exactly like that but in sauce form.
- A balsamic reduction. Perfect for an Italian theme or if you’re looking to keep the calorie count under control. The easiest thing to do would be to gently simmer 1 cup of balsamic vinegar until you are left with about ¼ cup. If you want it a little bit sweeter, then add a bit of sugar at the end. You can also reduce it with an herb like thyme or rosemary for added complexity of flavor.
Currently based out of Boston, Jesal is a blogger, freelance writer, yoga enthusiast and lifelong vegetarian who spent four years eating her way through New York City and various other cities around the globe. After answering hundreds of emails and phone calls answering the question, "Where's a cool place I can take my vegetarian friend out to eat" she started Veggiewala to efficiently share her knowledge of the vegetarian food scene with curious carnivores, flexitarians and other vegetarians.