Christmas tree shaped puff pastry, with a dairy free mature cheddar cheese and spinach & pistachio pesto filling. This is tasty, easy to make, perfect for sharing, and you only need four ingredients to make it. The cheese and pesto work so well together, it’s delicious eaten warm or at room temperature
Yield; Four to six servings Cook time; 15-20 minutes
You’ll need;
- 375g pre-rolled puff pastry, most supermarket own brands are accidentally suitable for vegans
- 100g grated dairy free cheese, I used mature cheddar by Ilchester which you can buy from Tesco, The Vegan Kind Supermarket, or from Sainsbury’s as part of the festive selection
- 35g of pesto, I used my spinach and pistachio pesto, you can find the recipe HERE
- A couple of tablespoons of plant based milk, for sealing and glazing the pastry
Method;
- Start by allowing the pastry to come to room temperature. Once it has, unroll it, slice it into two equal pieces, and spread the pesto evenly over one piece. I found that a pastry brush worked best, as it allows you to evenly spread the pesto without damaging the pastry
- Next, sprinkle the cheese over the top in an even layer
- Now brush the other piece of pastry with a little milk, then top the cheese with the pastry, milk side down. Flour your hands and press the pastry down into the cheese. Next, flour a rolling pin and gently roll the pastry flat, you don’t want to squash it, you just want to make sure it’s sealed. Then you can cut the pastry into a tree shape, you can use the offcuts as decoration
- Next, gently twist the “branches” of the tree, moving the lower ones down a little so they have enough room. If you’re finding the pastry is a little too soft to work with, just pop it in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up a little
- Bake at 200°C/180°C fan assisted for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Once it’s baked, leave it to cool on the baking tray for five to ten minutes before serving. It will be quite soft immediately out of the oven, so it’s best to wait a while before attempting to move it
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little mini series of festive recipes, I will be taking a break from blogging over the festive period. I hope you have a lovely Christmas, and a very happy new year
Bethany's Vegan Kitchen 