Description
These adorable Beef Ham & Cheese Puff Pastry Christmas Trees combine savory flavors with a fun presentation, making them perfect for holiday gatherings. Easy to prepare and delightful to eat, they are sure to impress your guests this festive season.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 sheets of good quality, all-butter puff pastry
- Thinly sliced, good quality beef ham
- Grated sharp cheddar cheese (or mild cheddar, Gruyère, or mozzarella)
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
- 1 tablespoon water or milk (for egg wash)
- Optional garnishes: sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried herbs (oregano or thyme), small pretzel sticks, cream cheese or melted cheese (for attaching star shape)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Unroll one sheet of chilled puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to about a 10×12 inch (25×30 cm) rectangle.
- Spread a thin, even layer of grated cheese over the pastry, leaving about a ½-inch (1 cm) border along one of the longer edges. Arrange thinly sliced beef ham over the cheese in a single, even layer.
- Unroll the second sheet of puff pastry and place it on top of the beef ham and cheese layer. Press down gently to adhere the layers together.
- Trim the edges to create a neat rectangle, then cut the layered pastry into vertical strips, about ¾-inch (2 cm) wide.
- Take one strip and twist it several times from both ends to form a spiral. Fold the twisted strip back and forth into a zigzag pattern to shape it into a tree.
- Transfer the formed Christmas trees to the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each one. Whisk together the egg and a tablespoon of water or milk to create an egg wash, and lightly brush the tops and sides of each pastry tree.
- Sprinkle with optional garnishes if desired.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed, golden brown, and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let the trees cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. If using, insert a small pretzel stick into the base of each tree for a cute 'trunk' before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tree
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
Keywords: Keep the puff pastry chilled while working with it to ensure it puffs properly. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter for clean cuts, and don't overfill the pastry to maintain its flakiness.