Description
Delight in festive Puff Pastry Pesto Christmas Trees—crispy, cheesy, and perfect for holiday gatherings. These easy-to-make savory snacks combine flaky puff pastry with creamy cream cheese, fragrant basil pesto, and melted shredded cheese, baked to golden perfection in just 25 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 roll puff pastry
- 3-4 tablespoons basil pesto
- 3-4 tablespoons cream cheese (optional)
- 2 tablespoons shredded cheese
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) to prepare for baking the puff pastry trees.
- Roll Pastry: Lay out the puff pastry sheet onto a piece of parchment paper, rolling it gently to smooth it out.
- Spread Cream Cheese and Pesto: Evenly spread the cream cheese over the puff pastry using a spoon or spatula, then layer the basil pesto on top for flavor.
- Add Shredded Cheese: Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over the pesto-covered pastry to add cheesy goodness.
- Cut Strips: Using a knife or pastry wheel, cut the puff pastry into strips approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.
- Shape Trees: Fold each strip to form a Christmas tree shape. Optionally, insert a skewer in the middle of each tree to hold its shape.
- Bake: Place the shaped pastry on a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the pastry turns golden brown.
Notes
- For a fresh touch, try making basil pesto from scratch with fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese.
- Enhance presentation by adding a small star-shaped cheese cut-out on top of each Christmas tree.
- You can omit the cream cheese if you prefer a lighter pesto flavor or want a dairy-free option.
- Use a skewer carefully to avoid tearing the pastry when shaping the trees.
- Serve these snack trees warm for the best texture and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
