Puff pastry Christmas trees with cheese and ham are a delicious idea for a very simple yet impressive appetizer for the holiday season.
The classic appetizer that many of us have already made, but in its simplicity enriches and fills the holiday table because they are cute and very scenic!
These snacks are easy to prepare. Just get a roll of puff pastry and then fill it with whatever you like, you can get creative with various cheeses, cold cuts, salmon, pesto, pâté, it’s up to you to choose according to your taste.
The trees can also be prepared in multiple versions with different fillings to satisfy everyone’s tastes and are also perfect as place cards.
Add them to the list of puff pastry appetizers for Christmas, they are really easy to prepare even in the sweet version with Nutella or other creams.
For more holiday ideas, also take a look at the Christmas Eve and Lunch Menu
TRY THESE VARIATIONS TOO
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 7
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients
- 1 roll of puff pastry
- 2.8 oz robiola cheese
- 4 slices edammer (thin)
- 1 slice cooked ham
- as needed olives
- as needed slices of provolone cheese (for star decoration)
Tools
- 1 Pizza Cutter
- 7 Skewers
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 Oven
- 1 Cookie Cutter
Steps for Puff Pastry Christmas Trees with Cheese and Ham
I made the larger version, doubling the strips, with the filling in the middle, but you can also make smaller ones using the entire puff pastry strips without covering the filling.
Open the roll of puff pastry on half the rectangle, spread the creamy cheese, add the thin slices of edammer and ham, then cover with the other half of the pastry.
Use a pastry cutter to make many rectangular strips about 0.8 inches wide.
Take a strip of pastry and fold it onto itself to create a sort of Christmas tree with a wider base and a narrower top.
Insert a wooden skewer through the center to hold it in place, so that during baking the tree will puff and maintain the desired shape.
Proceed with the other strips, placing them one by one on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
In the end, you’ll have 7 trees; if you don’t fold the puff pastry, you’ll get double and smaller ones.BAKING THE TREES
Bake the puff pastry trees in a preheated oven at 392°F for 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 356°F and continue baking for another 3-5 minutes until the pastry is lightly golden.
When the trees appear nicely puffed, remove from the oven and let cool.
Optionally, add olives or provolone stars cut out with a cutter.
Serve them hot!
Storage
It’s best to consume the puff pastry trees on the same day, to enjoy them crispy.
Otherwise, they can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 day in an airtight container and reheated before serving.
It’s best to consume the puff pastry trees on the same day, to enjoy them crispy.
Otherwise, they can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 day in an airtight container and reheated before serving.
Tips
Before baking, you can brush the trees with beaten egg and sprinkle with seeds
(sesame, pistachio, or others)
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I make a sweet version of the trees?
Yes, of course, you can fill the puff pastry with Nutella, pistachio cream, jam, or others, assemble, and after baking sprinkle with powdered sugar.
