Puff Pastry Christmas Tree

Name: Puff Pastry Christmas Tree
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Puff pastry rectangular sheets 2; Genoese pesto (Basil sauce) approx. 7 tbsp 3.5 oz; Sesame seeds to taste; Eggs 1

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Vegetarian

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Serving: 6 people
Cost: Low

PRESENTATION

Looking for a puff pastry appetizer for Christmas festivities? With puff pastry, the possibilities are endless, all easy and often original, like the puff pastry Christmas tree: a perfect recipe to kick off your Christmas menu. Serve it as an appetizer or, why not, even as a dessert! We suggest a savory filling with ready-made pesto, which you can replace with sun-dried tomato or olive paste... but you can also choose to make the puff pastry tree sweet: with jam, cream, or Nutella, for those with a sweet tooth! Let your creativity run wild to choose your preferred flavor, and use the puff pastry scraps to decorate your delightful tree! Place it in the center of the table so that each guest can pluck one of the branches with their hands! It's a perfect idea for an economical yet impressive Christmas dinner!

Here are more ideas for other Christmas appetizers to share (and snacks to prepare at the last minute!):

INGREDIENTS

Puff pastry 2 - rectangular sheets

Genoese pesto (Basil sauce) 3.5 oz (100 g) - approx. 7 tbsp

For brushing and decorating: Sesame seeds to taste; Eggs 1

Preparation

How to prepare Puff Pastry Christmas Tree

To prepare the puff pastry Christmas tree, first unroll the first sheet of puff pastry on a surface. Position the narrower end towards you and cut a square 1 in the center, which will be your trunk. The base of the trunk should be about 7 cm wide and 6 cm high. Now, cut two horizontal lines that will form the base of the tree 2, and make a diagonal line starting from the top that joins the lower left edge 3.

Do the same thing on the other side 4, then remove the excess pastry 5 to get your tree shape 6. Repeat this process for the second roll of puff pastry. To obtain an identical tree, you can trace this shape.

Spread the pesto on one of its shapes 7, leaving a small free border. Place the other puff pastry tree on top, making sure to join them 8. At this point, use a knife to cut horizontal strips on one of the two sides. The lines should be about 0.7 inch (2 cm) wide and parallel 9. Also, you should not cut them up to the center of the tree but stop just before, leaving an uncut triangle at the top.

Then roll up the branches on themselves 10. Do the same on the left side, cutting the strips 11 and rolling them up on themselves 12.

Brush the tree with the beaten egg 13 and cover the entire surface, except for the tip, with sesame seeds 14. From one of the pieces of the puff pastry scraps, cut out a star 15.

Place it on the tip of the little tree, brush it with the egg yolk 16, and cover it with sesame seeds 17. Bake in a preheated static oven at 390°F (200°C) for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven 18, let it cool, and serve.

How to store

We recommend consuming the puff pastry tree within a few hours, otherwise the puff pastry might soften.

Tips

Use the puff pastry scraps to make small rustic pastries.

You can choose from many different fillings. Using a cream, like an olive pâté or a creamy cheese, will make it easier to roll the branches of the tree, but you can also opt for a variety of fillings such as cured meats and cheeses.