Enjoy creating memorable Tu B’Shevat moments for your family with these three easy-to-replicate ideas. No special skills necessary!

Photography by Hudi Greenberger

Mini Fruit Skewers

Sweet and neat, these refreshing fruit skewers are the perfect thing to serve your guests. Line them up on a small platter or add them to a dessert plate for a beautiful and colorful presentation.

You will need:

red and green grapes

gooseberries

decorative toothpicks (I picked these up at The Fishing Line in Lakewood)

Thread the fruit on the toothpicks and line up on a plate.

Chocolate Mosaic Tree Cookies

You know you’re barking up the right tree when it’s a mosaic of chocolate. A fun treat to make and eat, with its layers of texture and flavor.

You will need:

• your favorite sugar cookie recipe
• green decorating chocolate (I used Shufra)
• brown chocolate
• tree-shaped cookie cutter, or parchment paper and a knife to create your own
• candy pearls

1. Roll out the cookie dough and use a cookie cutter to cut out a tree shape. For a large cookie, draw a tree on a sheet of paper and cut it out. Roll out your dough on a piece of parchment paper. Place the tree cut-out on the dough and use a knife to cut the dough. Remove the extra dough scraps from the parchment paper. Place the parchment on a cookie sheet and bake. Allow the cookies to cool before decorating.
2. Melt both chocolates. It’s especially important to melt the green chocolate very slowly, in 20-second increments, mixing well in between. If it gets too hot, it hardens and becomes very difficult to work with.
3. Spread a thin layer of each type of chocolate on a separate piece of parchment paper. Allow to dry and then break into small mosaic-like pieces.
4. Cover the bark with some of the dark melted chocolate and then decorate with the mosaic pieces.
5. Repeat with the top of the tree, using the green chocolate. You can also create “grass,” as shown.

Banana Pop Treats

Here’s a healthy and fun treat to make with your children.

You will need:

• bananas
• popsicle sticks
• 1 large jar of chunky peanut butter
• 1½–2 lbs semi-sweet chocolate in a 2-lb container (see note)
• toppings of your choice

1. Cut the bananas in half horizontally. Insert popsicle sticks into the center of the banana halves. Transfer banana halves to a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid (about 2–3 hours).
2. Place peanut butter in the microwave and microwave at 40-second intervals until soft. Melt the chocolate in a 2-lb container.
3. Stick a frozen banana pop into the peanut butter, allowing excess to drip back into the jar. Dip into the chocolate and return it to the parchment paper. Repeat with remaining bananas.
4. Sprinkle the coated bananas with toppings of your choice.

Note: You probably won’t need all the chocolate and peanut butter, but the deep jar and container will make it easier to dip the whole banana pop inside at once.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 727)