Tear and Share Christmas Tree – 2 Ways
https://foodloversmarket.co.za/recipes/tear-share-christmas-tree-bread/
We love sharing, and may this year be the year you get to share and spend a celebration with your friends and family again. Tear and share foods are in, along with tapas and snack platters. This tear-and-share pastry tree can be made sweet or savoury. This savoury Christmas tree bread recipe is filled with the locally made Food Lover’s basil pesto, topped with cherry tomato baubles. The sweet Christmas tree pastry recipe is filled with the fruit mince mix (made with our famous ‘red bucket’ fruit cake mix – at Cape Roasters in Cape Town.) and chocolate. Simply irresistible, it will be eaten up before you can say Merry Christmas.
Cooking Methods
- Baking
Serves
6Prep Time
20 minutesCooking Time
25 minutesIngredients
Savoury Tear & Share Tree: Pesto, Cheese, & Garlic Filling:
- 130g Food Lover’s Basil Pesto
- 125ml (1/2 cup) cream cheese
- 125ml (1/2 cup) Food Lover’s White Cheddar Cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 400g puff pastry
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 30ml (2 Tbsp) butter, melted
- 125ml (1/2 cup) cherry tomatoes, halved
Sweet Tear & Share Tree: Fruit mince filling
- 750ml (3 cups) Food Lover’s Festive Fruit Cake Mix
- 125ml (1/2 cup) butter
- 60ml (1/4 cup) water
- 125ml (1/2 cup) white sugar
- 10ml (2 tsp) cinnamon
- 2.5ml (1/2 tsp) ground ginger
- 2.5ml (1/2 tsp) allspice
- 400g puff pastry
Directions
For the savoury tear & share tree:
- In a large bowl, mix the pesto, cream cheese, cheddar, and seasoning together until well combined. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and prepare a baking tray with parchment paper and non-stick spray.
- Lay the puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface and cut a triangle shape, with two half triangles on the sides. Transfer the two half triangles onto the prepared baking tray and press the two halves together. Evenly smear the filling over and place the other triangle on top of the filling and cut slits along both sides, leaving a gap in the middle.
- Twist each slit two or three times so the layers of puff pastry and filling are showing. Sprinkle with cheddar down the middle, place the cherry tomatoes scattered around and bake for 20-25 minutes until the puff pastry is cooked and golden brown.
- Serve warm and enjoy.
- In a large saucepan, heat the first seven ingredients over medium heat until the butter is melted, and the sugar dissolved. Continue cooking on low heat until the sugar has caramelized slightly.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and prepare a baking tray with parchment paper and non-stick spray.
- Lay the puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface and cut a triangle shape, with two half triangles on the side. Press the two halves together and transfer onto the prepared baking tray. Evenly smear the filling over and place the other triangle on top of the filling and cut slits along both sides, leaving a gap in the middle.
- Twist each slit two or three times so the layer of puff pastry and filling is showing. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the puff pastry is cooked and golden brown.
- Serve warm and enjoy.
For the sweet tear & share tree:
Notes
Can you substitute the fruit mince for another sweet filling?
Of course, you can, you can try a jam of choice, chocolate chips and honey,
Can you make a vegan tear and share a Christmas tree?
Yes, you can make this vegan. Be sure to by a vegan-friendly puff pastry and use plant-based fillings. Here are some options for plant-based filings:
- Sweet vegan fillings:
- Peanut butter, all-spice and ginger.
- Nut butter and jam or syrup.
- Fruit mix fillings (above) but using plant-based margarine instead of butter.
- Savoury vegan fillings:
- Food Lover’s Pesto (of choice) & a vegan cream cheese spread (Fairview or Earth&Co)
- Plant-based margarine, garlic and herbs with chopped mushrooms
*A vegan-friendly puff pastry does not use real butter, eggs, or any dairy and animal by-products. Check the ingredients list and label to be sure.
