Cheese Puff Pastry Christmas Tree

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Make this festive, savory garlicky Cheese Puff Pastry Christmas Tree! It is crispy, cheesy, and flavorful, and it takes less than 30 minutes to make. This is a beautiful and delicious centerpiece for your holiday table. Serve it with marinara sauce, ketchup, or pesto for dipping.

This puffed pastry Christmas tree recipe is a great way to make a holiday appetizer that is delicious, easy, and impressive. You can use a ready-made puffed pastry dough that you cut into a large triangle and arrange into a tree shape. Then you fill the pastry with a mixture of fresh garlic, parsley, and mozzarella cheese and bake it until it is golden and crispy.

You can serve this puffed pastry Christmas tree with some marinara sauce or pesto for dipping. This appetizer is a crowd-pleaser and a festive centerpiece for your holiday table. It is also a savory twist on the popular Nutella Christmas tree. You can make this puffed pastry Christmas tree in less than 30 minutes and enjoy it with your family and friends.

Table of Contents

What I Love About This Recipe

This puffed pastry Christmas tree is not only a beautiful centerpiece for your holiday table but also a scrumptious appetizer that everyone will love.
It is very quick and easy to make. You need to cut out a tree shape from ready-made puffed pastry dough and twist the edges to create branches.
You can customize it by adding your favorite cheese, such as parmesan, cheddar, or brie, and herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, or basil.
The ingredients are easy to find and budget-friendly. You can bake this puffed pastry Christmas tree in the oven until it is golden and flaky and serve it with some marinara sauce or pesto for dipping.

Ingredients

Puffed pastry: You can use ready-made pastry to save time. Make sure it is fully defrosted before using it if it is frozen.
Butter: Use softened butter to make the garlic filling. You can use salted or unsalted butter, depending on your preference.
Garlic: Use fresh garlic cloves and grate them to make the filling. Fresh garlic has a better flavor and aroma than garlic powder, but you can use the latter if you don’t have the former.
Parsley: Use fresh parsley and chop it finely before adding it to the filling. Parsley adds a fresh and herbal touch to the filling.
Salt: You only need to add a pinch of salt to the filling, as the cheese already has some saltiness.
Mozzarella: Use shredded mozzarella cheese to make the filling cheesy and gooey. You can also add other cheeses, such as parmesan, cheddar, or brie, for more flavor and variety.
Egg wash: Whisk one egg with one tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash over the puffed pastry before baking. This will give the puffed pastry a golden and crispy outer layer.

Recipe Variations

This savory puffed pastry Christmas tree is a delicious and festive appetizer that you can customize to your liking. You can change the fillings slightly to suit your taste. For example, you can use pesto instead of garlic butter for a more herbal and nutty flavor.

You can also make it sweet by using Nutella instead of cheese for a chocolatey and decadent treat. Or, you can add cranberry sauce for a fruity and tangy twist. No matter what filling you choose, this puffed pastry Christmas tree will impress your guests with its beautiful shape and scrumptious taste.

How to Make Puff Pastry Christmas Tree

Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/Gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Make the garlic butter filling. In a bowl, mix together butter, chopped parsley, grated garlic, and a pinch of salt until well combined. Place one puff pastry sheet on the lined baking tray. Spread the garlic butter filling evenly over the puff pastry sheet.

1. combine salt, pepper, parsley butter and grated garlic in a bowl.

3. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella on top of the puff pastry. Then, cover it with another puff pastry sheet.

4. Cut out a large Christmas tree shape from the puff pastry sheets using a knife and a ruler. You can also cut out some stars from the excess pastry and add them to the tree. Discard or bake the remaining pastry.

3. Christmas tree carved out of puff pastry.

5. Cut equal slits along both sides of the tree, leaving some space in the middle. Twist each slit to create branches.

4. puff pastry tree twisted and basted with egg wash.

6. Whisk an egg with one tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash over the entire tree and stars.

5. Bake puff pastry tree and top with parsley.

7. Bake the puffed pastry Christmas tree in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and crispy.

8. Serve the puffed pastry Christmas tree with marinara sauce, ketchup, or any sauce of your choice for dipping. Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

Oven: One of the important steps to make a perfect puffed pastry Christmas tree is to preheat the oven before adding the pastry. This will ensure that the pastry will rise and puff up properly, and that it will bake evenly and become crispy and golden. If you add the pastry to a cold oven, it will not puff up as much, and it may become soggy or undercooked.

FAQs

What is the difference between puff pastry and butter puff pastry?

Puff pastry and butter puff pastry, are both flaky pastries made from layers of dough and butter. The difference is in how the butter is incorporated into the dough. In puff pastries, the butter is wrapped inside the dough, while in butter puff pastry, the dough is wrapped inside the butter.

How to store?

This appetizer is best eaten fresh but you can wrap it in cling film or place it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the microwave or oven when you are ready to serve.

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