Pfefferneussen--literally "Pepper Nuts"-- are a type of spice cookie which are traditional Christmas fare with my family. 

The illustration was done using the 3D modelling and rendering software Ray Dream Studio by Metacreations. Nearly every detail in the image and many details not visible in the scene--such as the ceiling, floor, walls, the rest of the tree--were modelled from scratch. The final image was touched up in Corel PhotoPaint. Producing the image took about a days work.