Description
A festive and savory puff pastry appetizer shaped like a Christmas tree, filled with basil pesto and melted cheese, perfect for holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust:
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- Cherry tomatoes or red bell pepper, cut into small pieces (for decoration)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Prepare the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle. Cut into a triangle shape to form the tree, then cut smaller triangles from the sides to create branches.
- Spread basil pesto evenly over the pastry, leaving a small border around edges. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top.
- Fold the pastry in half lengthwise to enclose the filling, pressing edges gently to seal. Use a sharp knife to cut slits along the folded side to form branches, then twist each branch slightly.
- Transfer to prepared baking sheet, brush with egg wash, and decorate with cherry tomato or pepper pieces as ornaments. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Let cool slightly before serving warm.
Notes
You can customize the seasonings to taste.