Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Prepare the eggs: Place a steamer basket in a large pot and add about an inch of water. Bring to a rolling boil.
- Carefully place cold eggs into the steamer basket. Cover the pot, reduce heat to medium-high, and steam for 13 minutes.
- While eggs steam, prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and cold water.
- Once cooked, immediately transfer the eggs to the ice bath and let them chill for at least 15 minutes to stop the cooking and make peeling easier.
- Peel the cooled eggs. Slice each egg in half lengthwise.
- Gently remove the yolks and place them in a medium mixing bowl. Arrange the empty egg white halves on a serving platter. Trim a tiny slice from the bottom of each white to create a stable base.
- Create the filling: Mash the egg yolks with a fork until they are a fine powder. For an extra smooth texture, press the yolks through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Add mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, sweet pickle relish, salt, and pepper to the mashed yolks. Stir until completely smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Tint the filling: Add a small drop of green gel food coloring to the yolk mixture. Stir until evenly colored, adding more tiny drops until you achieve a desired Christmas-tree green.
- Pipe the trees: Transfer the green filling to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Hold the bag vertically over an egg white half and pipe a swirl, starting wide at the base and getting smaller as you move up to form a cone shape.
- Repeat the piping process for all 24 egg white halves.
- Decorate the trees: Carefully cut tiny star shapes from the piece of bell pepper and place one on top of each piped tree.
- Carefully place sprinkles or nonpareils onto the sides of the filling to look like ornaments.
- Finish with a light dusting of paprika over the entire platter and garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Serve chilled.
Notes
Make-Ahead: Eggs can be boiled and peeled up to 2 days in advance. The filling can be made 1 day ahead; store it in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Assemble just before serving for best results, ideally no more than 4-6 hours in advance.
No Piping Bag: If you don't have a piping bag, you can use a sturdy zip-top bag with the corner snipped off, or simply use two small spoons to mound the filling into a tree shape.
Flavor Variations: Add a dash of hot sauce for a kick, smoked paprika for depth, or finely crumbled bacon for a savory crunch. For natural coloring, a small amount of spinach juice or spirulina powder can be used.
Transporting: To prevent sliding, use a dedicated deviled egg carrier. Alternatively, line a container with paper towels and nestle the eggs in snugly, or place a tiny dollop of leftover filling on the bottom of each egg to 'glue' it to the platter.
No Piping Bag: If you don't have a piping bag, you can use a sturdy zip-top bag with the corner snipped off, or simply use two small spoons to mound the filling into a tree shape.
Flavor Variations: Add a dash of hot sauce for a kick, smoked paprika for depth, or finely crumbled bacon for a savory crunch. For natural coloring, a small amount of spinach juice or spirulina powder can be used.
Transporting: To prevent sliding, use a dedicated deviled egg carrier. Alternatively, line a container with paper towels and nestle the eggs in snugly, or place a tiny dollop of leftover filling on the bottom of each egg to 'glue' it to the platter.