Citrus Tower Centerpiece Recipes

CASCADING FRUIT CENTERPIECE

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Stir in coconut. Chill until serving., Cut off pineapple top with a fourth of the pineapple attached; set aside. For dip bowl, cut a third from bottom of pineapple; remove fruit, leaving a 1/2-in. shell. Remove peel from center section of pineapple; core and cut pineapple into chunks., Cut the grapefruit, orange and lemon in half widthwise. Remove pulp from one half of each; set aside. (Save the remaining grapefruit, orange and lemon halves for another use.) , Stack two 10-in. Styrofoam rounds and two 6-in. rounds; cover each stack with heavy-duty foil. Repeat with remaining rounds. On a 19x15-in. platter, pile the stacks on top of each other, staggering them and anchoring with dowels. , Place pineapple top on the top circle; position lemon, orange and grapefruit cups on other circles. Place pineapple bowl on platter. , With greening pins, attach clusters of grapes onto circles. Randomly add strawberries, pineapple chunks and more grapes to cover the foil and platter. Decorate with silk flowers. Just before serving, fill pineapple bowl with pineapple ginger dip. Fill lemon, orange and grapefruit cups with yogurt.

CITRUS FRUIT CANDLE CENTERPIECE

Steps:

• Slice the oranges, limes and lemons 1/8-inch thick.
• Put a wire rack on top of a cookie sheet and lay each piece of sliced fruit on the rack.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
• When the oven is hot, place the rack of fruit in the oven and let "bake" for two hours (if your fruit is taking a long time to dry, turn the oven off and leave the fruit in overnight.
• When the fruit is dry and cool, hot-glue the citrus pieces to one another by overlapping them in line with the candle's base. Do not glue-gun the candle directly or the wax will melt.
• When the candles are completely decorated, and the glue is dry, stagger the candles in the middle of your Thanksgiving table and weave the berry branch throughout.

FRESH FRUIT CENTERPIECE

Steps:

• Cut pineapple into 3/8-in. slices. Using small flower or star-shaped cookie cutters, cut out shapes from pineapple and watermelon slices. Thread assorted fruits onto wooden skewers., Place melon on a serving tray or platter. Insert skewers into base. Garnish with lemon and mint if desired.