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Cheese-Twist Christmas Tree

A festive, pull-apart holiday appetizer featuring buttery puff pastry filled with savory pesto and sharp Parmesan cheese. The dough is twisted into elegant 'branches' that become irresistibly crispy and caramelized when baked.

Prep

20m

Cook

30m

Total

50m

Serves

8

Method

  1. 01

    Lightly flour both sides of a sheet of puff pastry and roll it into a square approximately 1/8-inch thick. Use a knife or pizza wheel to cut a large triangle from the bottom corners up to the center of the top edge.

    Step 1
    Watch · 0:54
  2. 02

    Transfer the main triangle to a lined baking sheet and chill. Take the two leftover side pieces of dough and overlap them by about half an inch, pressing them together to form a second triangle of roughly the same size.

    Step 2
    Watch · 1:40
  3. 03

    Trim a small rectangular piece of dough to place at the bottom of the first triangle to form the trunk. Spread a layer of pesto over the pastry, leaving a 1/4-inch border, and grate a generous amount of Parmesan cheese over the top.

    Step 3
    Watch · 2:26
  4. 04

    Place the second triangle of pastry directly over the first, stretching the edges to align them as evenly as possible. Lightly press and pat the top layer down into the cheese to help it adhere.

    Step 4
    Watch · 3:15
  5. 05

    Using a pizza wheel, make horizontal cuts about 3/4-inch apart from the bottom of the tree to the top, leaving a 1/2-inch vertical strip uncut in the center. Take each strip and twist it upward toward the top of the tree 3 or 4 times.

    Step 5
    Watch · 4:25
  6. 06

    Spread a little extra pesto on the exposed center strip and sprinkle another layer of cheese over the entire tree. Bake in a preheated 425°F (218°C) oven for about 30 minutes, or until the pastry is deeply browned and fully cooked.

    Step 6
    Watch · 6:18
  7. 07

    Let the tree cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes to allow the bottom to crisp up and prevent sogginess. Transfer to a platter and serve with spicy tomato sauce for dipping.

    Step 7
    Watch · 7:08

From Chef John

  • “Around the outside, around the outside, around the outside.”
  • “You are, after all, the 'me' of making this tree.”
  • “There's absolutely nothing worse than undercooked puff pastry. It is pure evil.”