Nutella Pastry Christmas Trees

# What You'll Need:

→ Pastry

01 - 2 sheets puff pastry (each about 8.8 oz), thawed if frozen

→ Filling

02 - 4.2 oz Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread)

→ Finish

03 - 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

04 - 1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional, for dusting)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

02 - Unroll both puff pastry sheets. Evenly spread Nutella over one sheet, leaving a 0.4-inch border.

03 - Place the second pastry sheet over the Nutella-coated sheet to sandwich the filling. Using a sharp knife or tree-shaped cookie cutter, cut out tree shapes approximately 5 to 6 inches tall. Re-roll scraps to form additional trees if desired.

04 - Transfer the tree shapes to the lined baking tray. Carefully slice horizontal cuts along each side of the tree to create branches, keeping the central trunk intact. Gently twist each branch for decorative effect.

05 - Brush each tree evenly with the beaten egg to ensure a golden finish.

06 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.

07 - Allow pastries to cool slightly. Dust with powdered sugar if desired and serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -

They look genuinely impressive and festive, but honestly take less effort than shaped cookies.
The contrast of crispy, shattering pastry against creamy Nutella filling is addictive, and you can make them in under an hour.
No special baking skills needed—if your trees look wonky, they somehow taste better that way.

02 -

Don't worry if your Nutella spreads unevenly or the filling seems to leak a little during baking—it's actually supposed to caramelize at the edges, and that's where the best flavor is.
If the pastry seems to brown too quickly, tent it loosely with foil for the last few minutes, but honestly, a little dark golden is better than pale and soft.

03 -