PEANUT BUTTER AND PRETZEL LOG CABINS

Peanut Butter and Pretzel Log Cabins image

Categories No-Cook Vegetarian Kid-Friendly Peanut Gourmet Small Plates

Yield Makes 8 log cabins, each with a tree and a campfire

Number Of Ingredients 4

Ingredients

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

Steps:

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.)
Make base:
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.
Make roof:
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 45°F. 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.
Make trees:
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.
Make campfires:
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.