Create a Unique Purim Centerpiece: Haman’s Family Tree
Purim is a holiday full of joy, storytelling, and celebration—and what better way to bring a bit of whimsy and tradition to your table than with a Haman’s Family Tree centerpiece? This creative project turns edible cookies into hanging decorations that make a festive focal point for your Purim gathering.
Whether you use this idea as a centerpiece or hang the cookies from your chandelier, they will definitely create memories that will “hang around” for a while! Bake cookies and decorate them on any level – with chocolate chips, sprinkles, royal icing, fondant, and everything in between!
Check out the details of these precious cookies made by Kookies4You. Sheina was so kind and gave exact instructions for making them.
A Festive Touch for Your Table
Haman’s Family Tree is perfect for family gatherings, dinners, or as a conversation starter at your Purim feast. It’s a project that blends craft, baking, and holiday décor—and it’s customizable for every style and skill level.
Looking for more Purim inspiration? Check out creative mishloach manos ideas, playful decorations, and DIY party décor on our Purim ideas page.
You will need:
- sugar cookie dough
- gingerbread cutter
- royal icing mix
- piping bags
- pareve chocolate chips and caramel chips
- triangle-shaped chocolate mold (small size available from the Westview Shop)
- ribbons
- vase and branches
Find your supplies here...
Haman Cookies
- Chill your dough and shape your cookies while the dough is still cold. Cut out cookies with a gingerbread cutter. Using a straw, poke a small hole in the forehead of each gingerbread man. Make sure the hole is big enough to fit a ribbon through.
- Place the cookies in the oven while they’re still cold and bake immediately. Remove from oven. If the holes in the forehead shrink during the baking process, use a straw to enlarge them right after removing them from the oven, while they’re still piping hot.
- Once the cookies are cool, you can ice them. Make sure your icing is thick enough for the lines to stay neat when you pipe it. If it’s too thick, add a little bit of water to thin it out. If it’s too thin, add some confectioners’ sugar to thicken. Separate your icing into parts and color it in different colors. I did light brown, dark brown, black, orange, purple, and pink.
- Scoop each color into its own piping bag, then cut a fairly small hole at the tip of each piping bag.
- Decorate your cookies however you desire. You can add stripes, flowers, suspenders, pockets, etc., or create your own designs. Don’t forget to add hair, but don’t cover your holes!
- To make the hamantaschen hats, melt pareve chocolate chips over low heat on the stove or in the microwave.If melting in the microwave, heat in 15-second increments and mix each time until the chocolate is fully melted and incorporated. Pour into a piping bag and cut a tiny hole in the corner. Pipe a dot of chocolate into the center of each hamantasch mold.
- Next, melt pareve caramel chips the same way as you did the pareve chocolate chips and put into a piping bag. Cut a small hole and fill the hamantasch molds with melted caramel. Place your mold tray in the freezer until hamantaschen are set. Flip the tray over and the hamantaschen will slip right out.
- Once your decorations are dry, slip your ribbons through the holes in the top of the heads. Melt some more caramel chips and glue your hamantaschen hat over the ribbon that’s overlapping the head.
- If desired, hang from branches and place in a vase as a centerpiece for your table. Or just hang from your light fixture!
Photography by Hudi Greenberger
This article originally appeared in Family First
