O Sweet Christmas Tree Recipes

Steps:

• Using a stand mixer or a bowl and a spatula, mix together the cream cheese, herbs, garlic, mustard, and salt until combined. Form the mixture into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Before serving, form the ball into a tree shape -- like an egg shape, but pointier on top. Roll the tree-shaped ball in the parsley, reshaping it with your hands as necessary. Decorate with bits of bell peppers and pomegranate seeds. Top with the slice of star fruit.
• Serve with crackers and crudites.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350. Line a large baking tray with aluminium foil and grease with butter or coconut oil.
• Roll out two sheets of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to 11x13 in each. Lay the first sheet out on the prepared baking tray.
• Very gently, score a rough shape of a Christmas tree (triangle) with a knife, just so that when you spread over the Nutella®, you have a guide for where the tree will be. Try to maximise the space and make the base of the triangle as wide as the width of the puff pastry sheet. Leave about 2 in at the bottom of the puff pastry sheet for a tree trunk.
• With the back of a spoon, spread the Nutella® thinly in the triangle area.
• You should end up with a chocolate triangle.
• Roll the second sheet of puff pastry up then line it up with the top of the bottom sheet, then roll it down towards you.
• Gently with your fingers try to feel the outline of where the chocolate is underneath. Score along the lines of the triangle first with a knife then begin cutting carefully. I pressed the blade into the pastry rather than sliced so that I did not tear the foil underneath. Remove the excess pastry.
• At the base of the tree carefully cut away two strips either side to form the base of the tree trunk.
• Very lightly, score where the trunk of the tree will be as a guide, wider at the base, getting thinner at the top. Pressing the knife blade rather than slicing, begin cutting the pastry to form the branches, following the line of the trunk and getting narrower the further up they go.
• Finally the tree will be ready for twisting.
• Beginning at the base, twist the pastry away from you, trying to get in two turns on the lower branches.
• Continue moving up the tree, twisting away from you as you go.
• At the top of the tree you may only get a single twist in the top branches. If desired, cut out a star with the pastry trimmings and place on the baking tray.
• Brush the entire tree with lightly beaten egg.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until risen and golden brown. Let cool slightly before enjoying.