Title: Christy's christmas trees
 Categories: Breads, Machine, Holidays
      Yield: 1 Loaf
 
MMMMM------------------------1 1/2 POUND-----------------------------

MMMMM---------------------------DOUGH--------------------------------
    7/8 c  Buttermilk; for Welbilt/DAK
           -and Zojirushi, add 2 tb.
           -more buttermilk)
      1    Egg
      3 c  All-purpose flour
      1 ts Salt
      4 tb Butter or margarine
    1/4 c  Sugar
  1 1/2 ts Red Star active dry yeast

MMMMM---------------------------ICING--------------------------------
      1 c  Powdered sugar
      1 tb Milk or eggnog; up to 1.5 Tb
    1/2 ts Vanilla
           Green food coloring

MMMMM--------------------------GARNISH-------------------------------
           Cinnamon red hot candies
 
  1.  Place  dough ingredients in bread pan, select Dough setting, and
  press Start.
  
  2.  When the dough has risen long enough, the machine will beep. Turn
  off bread machine, remove bread pan, and turn out dough onto a
  lightly floured countertop or cutting board. Gently roll and stretch
  dough into an 18-inch rope.  Grease a large baking sheet(s).
  
  With a sharp knife, divide the dough into 17 pieces. Roll each piece
  into a ball and place it on the greased baking sheet in the shape of
  a Christmas tree, spaced about a half-inch apart; 5 balls for the
  bottom roll, 4 balls for the next row, 3 balls for the next row, 2
  balls for the next row, and 1 ball at the top. Combine the remaining
  2 balls into 1 large ball, gently roll it into a thick rope and shape
  it into an "S" to form the tree trunk.
  
  VARIATION:  This recipe makes one large Christmas tree coffee cake. To
  create 2, 4, or 6 smaller trees, simply divide the dough into 2, 4,
  or 6 pieces initially and then follow the directions for dividing up
  the dough and shaping each tree.
  
  3.  Cover and let rise in a warm oven for 30 to 45 minutes until
  doubled. (Hint:  To warm oven slightly, turn oven on Warm setting for
  1 minute, then turn it off, and place covered dough in oven to rise.
  Remove from oven to preheat.)  Remove baking sheet(s) from oven.
  Preheat oven to 375 F.
  
  4.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.  Cool on a cake rack.
  
  5.  When the coffee cake(s) is cooled, in a small bowl, combine the
  icing ingredients, adding enough liquid to make the icing thin enough
  to spread over the coffee cake. Spread each roll with icing, then
  decorate with cinnamon red hot candies.
  
  Yields 1 Christmas tree coffee cake.  Nutritional information per
  Christmas tree:  Calories 149, Fat 3.4 g, Carbohydrate 26.3 g,
  Protein 3.2 g, Fiber .7 gm, Sodium 166 mg, Cholesterol 20.5 mg.
  
  Joyce's Notes:  For a cinnamon nut coffee cake, I added 1 tsp. of
  cinnamon and about 1/2 cups chopped pecans. Good!! I also made 2
  trees by dividing the dough in half, then making 12 balls, using 10
  for the tree and 2 for the trunk.