This scrumptious ham and cheese Christmas tree appetizer is a straightforward to make, tasty appetizer that’s not solely festive but additionally tremendous flavorful! Make these for a Christmas lunch, a Christmas celebration, or together with some cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning breakfast!
Ham and Cheese Christmas Timber
Through the years I’ve shared tons of Christmas treats. Every part from reindeer chow to cranberry orange bread. I haven’t shared almost as many savory Christmas appetizers as a result of properly I’ve a candy tooth!
However you may’t have a Christmas celebration with out some good Christmas snacks, and these ham and cheese Christmas timber are simply that! Make them for breakfast, lunch, or a Christmas appetizer – they’re festive and enjoyable for any time of day or event!
And so they solely take minutes and some components to make, which is large through the busy vacation season – making them the right possibility subsequent time you want a Christmas snack! Serve them with Christmas punch for the final word vacation meal!
Why you’ll love These Ham and Cheese Timber
- Festive – make the vacations much more magical with these tree appetizers.
- Fast – these timber could be assembled in minutes!
- Versatile – nice alternative whether or not you need to deliver an app for a vacation celebration or a vacation household dinner concept.
- Puff pastry sheets – you may at all times make your personal, however you’ll need two sheets. Don’t neglect to unthaw them if you happen to’re utilizing frozen so they’re simpler to work with.
- Ham slices – any kind of ham deli meat works – brown sugar, honey baked. and so forth.
- Cheese slices – select your favourite cheese, something that goes with ham works! For those who’re making these for youths, I at all times suggest one thing gentle like cheddar.
- Cheddar cheese block – I like cheddar for a yellow star however you are able to do any cheese you need so long as it’s yellow orange coloured.
- Parsley – recent works finest, however 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley will work too if you’re in a pinch. I additionally did it with dried oregano and it was simply as tasty!
- Garlic salt – ensure you’re utilizing garlic salt and never simply garlic powder or garlic granules. You need the salt on this!
You’ll additionally want some kind of skewers to place the timber on (and use to form them). I used these wood skewers and so they had been nice.
And lastly, you’ll additionally need a mini star cookie cutter to chop the celebrities for the tops of the timber! One thing just like the one in this set.
Methods to make these christmas tree appetizers
As I stated earlier, these are a breeze to make. Learn the directions to make sure you know what you’re doing. When you do this, you’ll be capable to take pleasure in these vacation snacks very quickly.
1 – Layer The Timber
Preheat your oven to 350 levels so it’s preheated as quickly as your Christmas timber are achieved. You may also line a baking sheet with a bit of parchment paper if you wish to keep away from the mess on the baking sheets!
Now, take one sheet of thawed puff pastry and lay it in your baking sheet, both proper on the sheet or on prime of the parchment paper.
On prime organize the sliced ham in order that it covers the whole sheet. There’s no want to chop them up, simply add the total slices. You’ll be chopping them up later!
I like to depart a bit area between the ham and the perimeters of the puff pastry to make sealing the timber a bit simpler, however it’s not likely going to matter that a lot (not like with these Christmas tree hand pies).
Add your cheese slices proper on prime of the ham slices. You’ll doubtless want to chop the cheese into smaller items to get the proper match – try to cowl the whole factor with cheese!
Additionally – whenever you’re slicing your cheese or having it sliced on the deli, I like to recommend thinner slices (in comparison with thicker ones) so it’ll complement the skinny ham slices.
As soon as the cheese is added, end off the sandwich layers by including the second piece of puff pastry proper on prime of the cheese, lining it up with the underside layer of puff pastry the perfect you may!
2 – Assemble The Timber
Along with your pastry layered, minimize eight equal strips utilizing a pizza cutter. Minimize the sheet width-wise so your timber don’t find yourself lengthy and thin.
Take one strip and fold it into the form of a tree. To do that, flip your strip so you may see the ham and cheese inside. At roughly a fourth of the size of the strip, fold it on prime of itself.
Proceed to fold the pastry strip on prime of itself, ensuring to get shorter with every stage till you might have the form of a tree.
Take your skewer and gently push by way of every layer of the tree, leaving no less than an inch of skewer on the prime for the star cutout later.
Repeat this with your entire strips so you might have eight little ham and cheese Christmas tree appetizers!
3 – Bake The ham and cheese timber
Place the assembled timber onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and put them within the oven. These will flatten and increase after they prepare dinner, so don’t crowd the tray.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or till evenly golden brown.
Whereas the timber are baking, soften the butter. Mix garlic salt and parsley with the butter in a small bowl and put aside.
As soon as the timber are golden brown, take away the timber from the oven and instantly brush evenly with the garlic butter combination. I like to make use of a silicone pastry brush to do that however you may simply pour a bit on every tree as properly too!
4 – Add the Stars and Get pleasure from
Take the block of cheese and minimize out small star shapes utilizing a cookie cutter.
As soon as the timber are cool sufficient to deal with, gently glide the star onto the highest of the skewer. Make sure that they’re not nonetheless tremendous sizzling or your tree stars will simply soften (and be too sizzling to the touch).
Your ham and cheese Christmas timber are able to eat! These are finest served heat or at room temperature. You might serve them with some kind of dipping sauce (the one we serve with these tacky pigs in a blanket could be splendid) or simply eat them on their very own!
Skilled Ideas & Storage Info
Soak skewers forward of time to eliminate splinters. Make sure that to make use of room temperature water and permit them to sit down within the water for roughly thirty minutes earlier than utilizing.
Assemble the timber forward of time after which place them within the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap till able to bake.
Serve with a wide range of dipping sauces like this pesto or ranch.
Retailer in an hermetic container for as much as one week within the fridge.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make these forward of time?
Sure! Merely assemble the timber, wrap them in plastic wrap, and retailer them within the fridge in an hermetic container till able to bake.
Can I add a sauce to the timber?
Including a sauce will trigger the timber to leak extra. I like to recommend serving them with a sauce on the aspect to dip into as an alternative.
What’s one of the simplest ways to reheat these?
If you find yourself able to eat the leftovers, merely place them again in a chilly oven and preheat it to 350 levels. Let the timber come to temperature with the oven and so they’ll be identical to whenever you first made them! You may also pop them within the microwave however they received’t be as crisp that approach.
Extra Straightforward Christmas Appetizers
Need some extra Christmas appetizers to serve with these Christmas timber? Strive certainly one of these!
Serves
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Preheat your oven to 350 levels. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Take one sheet of thawed puff pastry and lay it in your baking sheet
17.3 ounce field of puff pastry
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Add the sliced ham straight on prime of the puff pastry. Then prime with the slices on cheese.
6 slices ham, 6 slices cheese
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Place one other piece of puff pastry on prime, rigorously lining up the highest and backside items.
17.3 ounce field of puff pastry
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Slice the puff pastry sandwich into 8 equal strips width smart.
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Begin folding the pastry strips making it a giant fold on the backside and getting smaller as you go as much as create a triangle form.
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Rigorously push a skewer up by way of all of the layers of the puff pastry. Make sure that to depart no less than an inch of the skewer on the prime for the star later.
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Place them on the parchment lined baking tray.
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Bake 20-25 minutes till golden brown.
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In a small microwave secure bowl soften the butter and add the parsley, and garlic salt.
2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, 2 tablespoons recent chopped parsley
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Brush the butter combination over the nice and cozy timber as soon as they’re out of the oven.
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Let the timber cool barely.
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Use a small star cookie cutter to chop stars out of the cheddar cheese.
4 ounce block cheddar cheese block
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Place a star on prime of every tree as quickly as they’re cool sufficient to deal with. Serve heat or at room temperature.
Soak skewers forward of time to eliminate splinters. Make sure that to make use of room temperature water and permit them to sit down within the water for roughly thirty minutes earlier than utilizing.
Assemble the timber forward of time after which place them within the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap till able to bake.
Serve with a wide range of dipping sauces like this pesto or ranch.
Retailer in an hermetic container for as much as one week within the fridge.
Energy: 407kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 17g, Fats: 42g, Saturated Fats: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 4g, Monounsaturated Fats: 18g, Trans Fats: 0.1g, Ldl cholesterol: 56mg, Sodium: 946mg, Potassium: 131mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 525IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 259mg, Iron: 2mg
