Puff Pastry Christmas Tree with Jam and Yogurt Cream

Name: Puff Pastry Christmas Tree with Jam and Yogurt Cream
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 roll of Puff Pastry; 80 g of Cranberry Jam; 150 g of Greek Yogurt; 120 g of Mascarpone; 120 g of Heavy Cream; 45 g of Powdered Sugar; Powdered Sugar; 2 sprigs of Currants

A puff pastry Christmas tree with a crisp base, berry jam and Greek yogurt cream: a showstopping dessert that is easy to make.

Recipe Puff Pastry Christmas Tree with Jam and Yogurt Cream

Difficulty Medium
Preparation 30 minutes
Cooking 20 minutes
Servings for 8 people

Do you want to surprise your guests with a Christmas puff pastry treat that is both showstopping and indulgent? Then this puff pastry tree recipe is just what you need. Perfect to serve as a quick puff pastry treat during the holidays, or to make a Christmas Eve aperitivo or a Christmas brunch special, this refined, creative dessert turns simple puff pastry for the holidays into a masterpiece full of tradition and conviviality.

The magic of this recipe lies in its simplicity: you need only a few ingredients and no special pastry skills to bring to the table a dessert that looks spectacular and tastes wonderful. The flaky base holds a rich red berry jam that adds an intense, pleasantly tart note, topped with a soft Greek yogurt cream that brings balance and freshness. The finishing touch? A cascade of fresh currants and little puff pastry cookies that adorn the top of the tree, making it the star of your Christmas buffet.

You don’t need molds or special tools: a paper template is all it takes to easily shape your puff pastry Christmas tree however you like. You can make this filled puff pastry tree even more indulgent by adding hazelnut spread, or go for a savory version, ideal among your Christmas aperitivo ideas for friends and family. If you want to try other original variations, make the Nutella version or serve it with tasty Parmesan Puff Pastry Snowflakes or indulgent Stuffed Puff Pastry Stars for the perfect mix of sweet and savory.

Simple, beautiful and versatile, the puff pastry tree is the easy puff pastry recipe that will make every holiday moment magical.

Ingredients for 8 people

For the base:
1 roll of Puff Pastry rectangular
For the filling:
80 g of Cranberry Jam
For the cream:
150 g of Greek Yogurt
120 g of Mascarpone or cream cheese
120 g of Heavy Cream
45 g of Powdered Sugar
For decorating:
Powdered Sugar to taste
2 sprigs of Currants

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Method

To make the Puff Pastry Christmas Tree with Jam and Yogurt Cream, take a roll of store-bought rectangular puff pastry, or roll out ¼ of a batch of homemade puff pastry to a thickness of 3 mm, and lay the pastry on a sheet of parchment paper. Print the Christmas tree template and, using a plain pizza wheel, cut the tree shape out of the puff pastry, helping yourself with a small knife to cut the smaller corners and define the details.
With the pastry scraps left over from cutting out the tree, cut strips about 1.5 cm (1/2 inch) wide and make a border around the tree shape, sticking them onto the puff pastry base after brushing it lightly with water. With the remaining pastry, use a small cutter to make little stars to use for decorating.
Transfer everything to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, gently sliding the paper with the pastry on it. Bake in a conventional oven preheated to 190 °C (375 °F) for 20 minutes on the middle rack. The puff pastry stars may need a few minutes less than the base of the cake, so keep an eye on them. When the pastry shape is golden and cooked through, take it out of the oven and let it cool completely.
Spread a thin layer of red berry jam over the cooled puff pastry base, taking care not to smear the raised borders. Spread it evenly with a spoon or a spatula.
Make the cream by putting all the ingredients in a bowl together: the heavy cream, still liquid and very cold, the cream cheese (or mascarpone), the Greek yogurt and the powdered sugar. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until the mixture is thick and firm and holds its shape well.
Transfer the cream to a piping bag fitted with a 10-12 mm plain tip and cover the whole surface of the tree with lots of small tufts of the same size. Pipe them neatly side by side so they completely hide the layer of jam underneath.
Take a puff pastry star and place it on the top of the tree, putting a little yogurt cream on the underside to hold it in place. Lightly dust the border with powdered sugar and decorate the surface with the fresh currants, spreading them out to look like the colorful ornaments of a Christmas tree. Keep in the fridge for at least an hour before serving, so the cream sets and the cake is nicely chilled when you cut it. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!

Variations and Alternatives

For a chocolate version, you can use half a batch of chocolate frosting instead of the yogurt cream, or add unsweetened cocoa powder to the base cream. If you prefer a different filling, try pastry cream, lemon cream or white chocolate ganache. For a more rustic, flavorful version, replace the sweet jam with less sugary fruit compotes or bitter marmalades such as orange. You can also decorate the tree with fresh seasonal fruit such as pomegranate, raspberries or blueberries, or with chocolate shavings, chopped pistachios or toasted hazelnuts. For an even more festive presentation, add small fresh mint leaves that recall Christmas holly.

Tips

You can replace the puff pastry with ¾ of a batch of homemade shortcrust pastry. Simply roll the shortcrust out to a thickness of 5 mm, lay it on a sheet of parchment paper, cut out the tree shape and use the remaining dough to make strips or small ropes for the border, sticking them on by brushing the base with water. In this case, since the dough is different, bake it in a conventional oven preheated to 180 °C (350 °F) on the middle rack until it is cooked through and golden, about 14 to 18 minutes. Print the template directly on A4 sheets with your printer, cut out the pieces and join them with tape to get a tree the right size to cut out of a roll of store-bought puff pastry. The red berry jam can be replaced with the same amount of another flavor of jam or with a spread of your choice. You can use the puff pastry scraps to make several little stars to decorate the Christmas tree together with the currants.

Storage

Since it is a puff pastry cake, it is best to fill it a few hours before bringing it to the table and to eat it preferably the same day, to enjoy the flaky, crisp base. If kept in the fridge too long, the puff pastry base will become soggy and lose its characteristic flakiness. You can bake the puff pastry Christmas tree shape the day before: after baking, keep it on the baking sheet covered with plastic wrap in the fridge and fill it only a few hours before serving.