Puff Pastry Christmas Tree (Candy or Savory)

Made with buttery puff pastry and your selection of a candy or savory filling, this puff pastry Christmas tree is a simple and enjoyable vacation breakfast, appetizer, or dessert!

I’m not the type of mother that makes holiday-themed treats all too typically. Most of my Christmas recipes are primarily based extra on seasonal flavors than dressing the treats up like Santa or reindeers.

However each infrequently I’ll whip up one thing that’s simply as cute and festive as it’s scrumptious. Typically it’s snowflake sugar cookies, generally it’s melted snowman cookies, and generally it’s Christmas mild cupcakes.

And generally it’s this puff pastry Christmas tree.

This recipe is very nice as a result of it’s so versatile. It’s cute sufficient to thrill your kiddos however nonetheless elegant sufficient to serve at your annual vacation occasion. Plus, you possibly can change up the fillings to make it a candy deal with or a savory snack!

What’s a puff pastry Christmas tree?

This puff pastry Christmas tree is a candy or savory deal with made with two sheets of puff pastry and the filling of your selection. 

After sandwiching the puff pastry round your required filling, you narrow the entire thing right into a triangle and create twisted “branches” to show it right into a tree. High the entire thing with a puff pastry star and it turns into a Christmas tree!

I take into account this to be a “tear and share” recipe. Of us can tear off the branches to snack on, ultimately leaving the “trunk” of the tree for much more deliciousness.

Since you should utilize any unfold you want for the filling, you possibly can flip it right into a Christmas morning breakfast, a vacation appetizer, or a candy and easy dessert. 

I’ll even share some suggestions for prepping it forward of time! In any case, we love a make-ahead recipe.

Find out how to make a candy or savory puff pastry Christmas tree

This puff pastry Christmas tree appears to be like actually fairly and stylish, however it’s actually fairly easy to place collectively. Should you love working with puff pastry to make recipes like my puff pastry apple tart, puff pastry cinnamon rolls, or cherry turnovers, you’re gonna adore this recipe, too. 

Substances you’ll want

You solely want a small handful of elements to make my puff pastry Christmas tree:

• 2 sheets thawed puff pastry 
• ¼ to ⅓ cup candy or savory unfold 
• 1 giant egg
• Flaky salt for sprinkling (savory model solely)
• Powdered sugar or parmesan cheese to complete

Earlier than you begin assembling your tree, be certain each sheets of the puff pastry are thawed in response to the package deal instructions. I discover the quickest and most dependable manner to do that is to let it relaxation on the countertop for about half-hour.

What filling you utilize is as much as you! I’ve an entire bunch of concepts listed under underneath “filling choices” so that you can try.

I wish to high my savory timber with a little bit of flaky sea salt earlier than baking, however that’s optionally available.

For a reasonably snow-like impact, mud your completed timber with powdered sugar (for candy fillings) or Parmesan cheese (for savory ones).

Making this recipe

To assemble your puff pastry Christmas tree, begin by rolling one of many puff pastry sheets out on a frivolously floured floor into a ten×13-inch rectangle. Rigorously transfer this to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Unfold your filling over this sheet of puff pastry. Be certain that it will get all the way in which to the sides!

Now repeat the rolling course of with the second sheet of pastry and place it on high of the primary sheet, sandwiching the filling within the center. 

Now it’s time to show this right into a tree!

Use a pointy knife or pizza cutter to chop the pastry into a big triangle. Put aside the trimmed corners, however don’t discard them. If you’d like the tree to have a trunk, minimize that form from the underside of the triangle, setting apart the trimmed corners.

To make the branches, begin from the underside of the tree and minimize into the tree at 1-inch intervals. Be sure you depart a 1-inch uncut strip within the center for the trunk. 

Depart the highest 3 inches or so of the tree uncut, since these items could be too quick to twist. 

Rigorously twist every strip. You’ll be capable to twist the longer strips 3 instances and the shorter strips 1-2 instances. 

Use a knife or a cookie cutter to chop a star from the scraps. Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon of water to create an egg wash.

Use the egg wash to “glue” the star to the highest of the tree, then gently brush the whole tree with the egg wash.

At this level, you’ll nonetheless have some scraps left. I like to chop these into strips, twist them, and bake them too for further snacks. Place them on a separate baking sheet or prepare them across the tree – simply be certain they don’t contact one another or the tree.

Should you’re utilizing a savory filling, now is an effective time to frivolously sprinkle the highest with a little bit of flaky sea salt.

Bake the tree at 375°F for 20-25 minutes. You need the highest to be deeply golden and the underside to be cooked by way of.

Let the tree cool for 5-10 minutes earlier than dusting it with powdered sugar or Parmesan cheese and serving.

Filling choices

You should utilize nearly any candy or savory unfold because the filling in your puff pastry Christmas tree. A few of my favourite candy fillings embrace:

Use a savory filling to show this right into a festive appetizer in your annual Christmas occasion. A few of my favourite savory fillings embrace:

Make-ahead suggestions

Should you’re serving this puff pastry Christmas tree for a Christmas-morning breakfast or a celebration appetizer, you in all probability need to prep it forward of time.

Make the tree as described, however depart off the egg wash. Place it within the fridge for as much as 2-3 hours earlier than baking. Brush with egg wash simply earlier than baking.

​If you might want to make it various hours forward, place the pan within the freezer. As soon as the tree is frozen although after 1-2 hours, you possibly can wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap adopted by a layer of foil. Freeze for as much as 2 months.

When able to bake, unwrap and place the tree on a lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash and bake from frozen in response to the recipe instructions, including a couple of minutes on to the baking time if wanted.