Take-out Tuesday, Prosciutto & Pesto Puff Pastry Tree

the Painted Apron

7 years ago

How about a last minute Wow recipe…

A prosciutto and pesto filled puff pastry Christmas tree!

There was a gingerbread house decorating party on a recent cold Saturday afternoon at the North Pole, and we needed something warm and wonderful to nosh on

I remembered that I had a piece of puff pastry in the freezer and decided to try a version of the puff pastry trees I’ve seen bouncing around Pinterest

Pesto and prosciutto, handy for recipe creations, were in the fridge

When everything was all set for my gingerbread builders

{HHjr hot glued the houses together the day before so they were sturdy and ready}

I got busy rolling out the dough a little…make sure you use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper so it can be easily transferred to a baking sheet

Next cut it in half, and spread half with pesto

Top with Parmesan

then prosciutto and cover with remaining dough piece

Cut a triangle off of each side to establish the tree shape, then make diagonal cuts at inch intervals all the way down, leaving about 1 inch in the middle for the tree “trunk”

Gently lift each “limb,” using a small spatula if necessary, and twist several times, pinching the edges to seal

Cut slits in the pastry middle with the tip of a sharp knife

Brush with beaten egg and bake

Wow!

Psst…be sure to check out the variations at the end of the recipe printable

We noshed on the tasty tree while the little ones got busy decorating their houses

One piece for the house and one piece in the mouth!

Charlie Brown vacuumed and helped with the choo choo train

The Dads pitched in, you know being that it was construction and all…

I think they enjoyed it as much as the kids!

Prosciutto & Pesto Puff Pastry Tree

You can use this method for any shape you can dream up!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword appetizer, holiday appetizer, puff pastry, puff pastry tree, stuffed savory pastry

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Ingredients

1 sheet puff pastry thawed
1/3 cup pesto
2 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
3-4 thin slices prosciutto
1 egg

Instructions

Place dough on a piece of parchment or a silicone baking mat. Roll dough out to thin it, and press seams together. Cut dough in half down the center. Spread half of dough with a layer of pesto, stopping just short of the edges. Top with Parmesan and cover with prosciutto. Place remaining piece of dough on top and press down edges forming a big rectangle.
Cut off corners at the top of rectangle to establish the tree shape. With a sharp knife, make 1 inch diagonal cuts on each side, leaving 1 inch uncut in between “limbs.” Gently lift each limb and twist several times and pinch ends together. Make slits down the uncut tree trunk with the tip of a sharp knife. Brush pastry with beaten egg. Cover and refrigerate at this point until baking.
Bake pastry at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until puffed and golden. Carefully transfer to platter or serving board. Let guests pinch off a piece to eat.