Pull Apart Christmas Tree Recipes

Steps:

• Arrange 21 cupcakes in a tight triangle on a platter or cake board, using 6 cupcakes at the bottom. Add 2 cupcakes for the trunk. Break the graham cracker in half, spread chocolate frosting on the back and use to fill in the gaps in the trunk as shown.
• Spread the remaining chocolate frosting on the bottom 2 cupcakes, using an offset spatula to add texture. Tint the vanilla frosting green; transfer to a piping bag with an open-star tip. Starting from the bottom of the triangle and working your way up, pipe the green frosting all over the cupcakes in small downward strokes to cover completely.
• Add candies for ornaments. Flatten the gumdrop and trim into a star shape with a small cookie cutter. Place on top of the tree.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Sprinkle a work surface with flour to prevent sticking. Cut the pizza dough into 32 pieces by dividing it in half, then cutting each half in half and so on until you have 32 fairly evenly-sized pieces. Cut the mozzarella into 32 cubes.
• Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Insert 1 piece of the mozzarella into each of the dough pieces, pinching the dough around the cheese and rolling into a ball. Make sure the cheese is completely sealed inside the dough. Repeat with all of the cheese and dough.
• Arrange the dough balls into the shape of a Christmas tree on the prepared baking sheet. Start with 1 at the center of the top of the sheet pan as the treetop. Then make rows of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 in a pyramid shape below the first ball, to make a triangular "tree" shape. Place the last 2 balls at the top of the pyramid to act as a tree topper.
• Melt the butter in a small pan. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then remove from heat. Brush half of the garlic butter over the dough and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the dough is lightly browned and cooked through. (It¿s okay if some of the cheese bursts through ¿ it will crisp up and taste delicious.)
• Remove from the oven and brush with the remaining garlic butter, then sprinkle with the parsley and mixed herbs. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and spread the basil ribbons over the top. If desired, spoon some of the sauce in lines across the tree to look like a garland. Serve immediately with the remaining sauce on the side.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with a silicone liner (such as Silpat®).
• Roll pastry into a 14-inch square, sprinkling with flour if necessary.
• Cut from the bottom corners up to the center top to make a triangle. Place the triangle on a prepared baking sheet and place in the refrigerator.
• Overlap the long edges of the 2 remaining pieces of pastry by about ½ inch to form a second triangle. Roll to flatten slightly. Place on the second prepared baking sheet and chill until needed.
• Remove the first triangle from the refrigerator. Lift the silicone liner and pastry off the pan and onto the counter. Trim about 1 ½ inches off the bottom of the triangle and cut a 2-inch piece from that strip. Tuck that piece under the triangle to make a trunk.
• Spread all but 1 to 2 tablespoons pesto sauce over the entire triangle, leaving ¼ inch exposed at the edges. Grate most of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over the pesto. Place the second pastry triangle over top; stretch and pull it to fit, and trim off any extra dough as needed. Lightly press the edges together to seal and pat over the whole surface of the dough.
• Use a pizza wheel to cut ¾-inch horizontal strips on one side of the tree going from the outside edge in to about ¼ to ½ inch from the center; leave the center part connected to form the trunk. As you move up the tree, it may be easier to place the pizza wheel at the trunk and cut out to the edge. Repeat on the other side, lining up the cuts with the first side.
• Lift up each strip and twist 3 to 4 times. As you get up to the shorter pieces near the top, twist as many times as you can, but don't worry if you can't twist the strips at the very top.
• Brush remaining pesto over the center of the tree and any other spots you feel need it. Transfer the silicone liner back onto a baking sheet. Grate remaining cheese over top.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until pastry is fully cooked and well browned, 30 to 35 minutes; do not undercook.
• Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine yeast, 2 tablespoons warm water (110 degrees), and pinch of sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Add butter, milk, salt, remaining 4 1/2 teaspoons sugar, and eggs; stir to combine. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with dough-hook attachment. Slowly add flour and mix on low speed until mixture just comes together. Increase speed to medium-high; beat until dough is soft and elastic, about 7 minutes.
• Lightly brush a large bowl with butter. Place dough in bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm, draft-free place and let rise until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour (or refrigerate overnight; bring to room temperature before baking).
• Filling: Combine butter, garlic, parsley, chives, and salt in a small bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Stretch into a 7-by-15-inch rectangle. Spread herb-butter mixture evenly over dough. Using a pizza wheel or a sharp knife, cut dough crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Roll each strip into a spiral and tuck end underneath. Arrange in the shape of a tree on prepared sheet, forming two rows of five, two rows of four, two rows of three, one row of two, and one row of one. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until dough is puffy and soft, about 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake until lightly browned, 22 to 25 minutes. Decorate with peppers, mozzarella pearls, and sage and rosemary sprigs.