These look good but require a bit of dexterity (the construction is quite Blue Peter-ish, if I’m honest). If you don’t want the hassle, just roll each strip of pastry into a pinwheel (the shape of a pain aux raisins).
You don’t have to use Parma ham and Parmesan, you can use regular cooked ham and thinly sliced Gruyère. You end up with a Christmas tree that has flavours similar to those of a croque monsieur.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, very finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, very finely sliced
- Leaves from 4 thyme sprigs, plus a couple of sprigs to finish
- Flour, for dusting
- 2 x 320g sheets ready-rolled puff pastry
- 230g Parma ham
- 100g Parmesan, grated
- 1 egg, beaten
- 10 good-quality green olives, pitted
- 10g butter, melted
Method
Heat the oven to 200C/190C fan/gas mark 6. Line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and add 1 very finely sliced onion. Sauté over a low-medium heat until soft and golden.
Add 2 very finely sliced garlic cloves, the leaves from 4 thyme sprigs and some seasoning, and cook for another 4 minutes. Scrape this on to a plate to cool.
Lightly flour your work surface and lay out 1 sheet of puff pastry.
Lay out 230g Parma ham across the pastry, taking it right to the edges to cover the sheet entirely. Follow with the onion mixture, 100g grated Parmesan and some seasoning over the top, again spreading the filling right to the edges.
Unroll the other sheet of pastry and place it on top, pressing down firmly. Cut the pastry widthways into 10 equal strips.
Turn each strip into a zigzag to make a Christmas tree shape (don’t crush the pastry too much or the tree will be too tight).
Skewer each tree with a wooden kebab skewer and lay them on the baking sheets. Put these in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.
Using 1 beaten egg, brush each tree, covering every curve.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden and puffed up, then push an olive on to the top of each skewer.
Add the leaves from 2 thyme sprigs to 10g melted butter and brush the Christmas trees with this before serving.