Edible Christmas centerpiece: Tropical fruit topiary

Offer your guests a healthy snack while they visit on Christmas Day. A beautiful topiary covered in chunks of fresh fruit is easy to eat and adds a dose of healthy vitamins to the meal. This Christmas centerpiece is easy to prep ahead and assemble on the day of the festivities. Here’s how!

Step 1: Choose a topiary
Head to the craft store and look for a cone-shaped topiary form. These are made of spongy foam, making them easy to poke toothpicks into. For a simple display, choose one large topiary. For a stylish accent to a buffet table or coffee table, choose three smaller topiaries and arrange them in a cluster like a small grove of trees.

Step 2: Pick and prep fruit
Now make a list of favorite tropical fruits. Choose firm fruits that hold well on a toothpick. Cubes of pineapple, papaya, mango, persimmon, oranges, grapefruit, and bananas are perfect options. To add more color to the healthy Christmas centerpiece, consider using a few other fruits such as strawberries, grapes, and cherries. Wash and cut the fruit the day before the celebration and store it in air-tight containers in the refrigerator. If using banana, let the chunks soak in a citrus-based juice such as orange juice, to avoid browning.

Step 3: Assemble the centerpiece
Just before guests arrive, place the fruit on the topiary. Start by covering the topiary with a layer of tinfoil. Wrap the foil around and smooth it with your hands to provide a sanitary serving surface for the fruit on the Christmas centerpiece. Poke one toothpick into each piece of fruit and carefully secure it to the topiary by piercing the foil. For small pieces of fruit, try stacking two on a toothpick. Arrange the fruit on the centerpiece in a random mix of color or make a festive pattern to resemble a Christmas tree. For example, create a background of green grapes flanked with colorful pieces of fruit to resemble the ornaments.

Step 4: Final holiday touches
Carefully add a few special holiday accents to the Christmas centerpiece. Add a few small red bows to the topiary and place a star-shaped holiday ornament on the top. Place the edible arrangement on a pretty holiday platter and use it as the focal point of the dinner table, buffet table, or coffee table. Finish by wrapping a string of twinkling holiday lights around the base of the centerpiece. Enjoy!