1 medium ripe avocado or 2 drops of green food coloring
1 small red bell pepper, finely diced for ornaments
1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into tiny stars for toppers
1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
Instructions
Place the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover them with water by at least an inch. Bring the water to a full boil, then remove the pan from the heat, cover it with a lid, and let the eggs sit for 10 to 12 minutes. Immediately transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water for at least 5 minutes to stop the cooking process and make them easier to peel.
Once the eggs are cool, peel them carefully and slice each egg in half lengthwise. Gently remove the yolks and place them into a small mixing bowl. Use a fork or a potato masher to crumble the yolks until they are fine and powdery. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper to the bowl and mix until the texture is mostly smooth.
To get that beautiful evergreen look, add the flesh of one ripe avocado to the yolk mixture and mash it thoroughly. If you are not using avocado, simply add a few drops of green food coloring at this stage. Use a whisk or a hand mixer to whip the filling until it is very smooth and airy, which will make piping much easier.
Transfer the green yolk mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Holding the bag vertically over each egg white half, pipe the filling in a swirling motion, building it upward to create a ruffled, conical tree shape. Start with a wide base and spiral toward a point at the top.
Carefully place the tiny red bell pepper bits onto the green filling to look like ornaments. Finish each tree by placing a small yellow bell pepper star at the very top. Sprinkle the finely chopped chives around the base of the eggs on the serving platter to resemble fallen pine needles or grass.
