Almond Croissant lover's listen up! This Almond Croissant Puff Pastry Christmas Tree is the perfect easy (and festive) breakfast for Christmas morning! It's easy to assemble and tastes just like an almond croissant!
This recipe is inspired by two classic desserts! Every year I see all of the recipes for a Nutella inspired puff pastry Christmas tree, and while I love that delicious chocolate hazelnut spread, sometimes I need a bit more out of my desserts!
So I combined that idea with the filling I use for my Homemade Almond Croissants! This recipe is easy to make and comes together in less than 10 minutes! It's a perfect recipe to whip together and pop in the oven on Christmas morning!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
This Almond Croissant Puff Pastry Christmas Tree is such an easy dessert to throw together but is such a show-stopper! It's perfect for your next holiday brunch!
Almond Paste
I am such a huge fan of almond in dessert! I think it adds such a bright flavor to the dessert without it being overwhelming! To really get the perfect almond flavor, this recipe uses almond flour and almond extract!
You can typically find almond extract in most grocery stores in the baking aisle or online!
Puff Pastry
Puff pastry is one of my favorite ingredients to keep in the freezer! It's perfect for making easy homemade pastries without any hassle! But what is puff pastry exactly!? It's a dough made of butter and flour, that's layered together to create an airy and flakey dough! It's very similar to a croissant dough!
Puff pastry can be found in the freezer section of the grocery store! I recommend keeping the puff pastry in the freezer until you're ready to use it, then let it thaw for 30-45 minutes at room temperature. Because of the amount of butter in this recipe, you really want it to stay cold so you can get the perfect flakey crust!
Here's a recipe for a delicious Cream Cheese Danish that using puff pastry too!
Ingredients
- Puff Pastry
- Almond Flour
- Sugar
- Almond Extract
- Vanilla Extract
- Eggs
- Butter
- Sliced Almonds
- Powdered Sugar
See recipe below for all the details!
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Combine butter, sugar, almond flour, one egg, vanilla and almond extract!
- Step 2: Cut puff pastry into a triangle.
- Step 3: Spread almond paste over the Christmas tree.
- Step 4: Add another piece of puff pastry on top. Cut 1-inch strips leaving about a two inch section in the middle. I stop about 3 inches from the top.
- Step 5: Twist the pieces about once or twice to get a twirl.
- Step 6: Add remaining almond paste to the center and top with almonds.
Hint: I like to roll out the puff pastry on parchment paper so I can just pick up the parchment paper and place it on the baking sheet! It makes it way easier to move the tree after it's been assembled!
Variations and Substitutions
This Almond Croissant Puff Pastry Christmas Tree might be the perfect dish for your next holiday brunch! Here are a few ways to make it even better:
- Nutella - Add a few swirls of Nutella to the top of the almond filling for a chocolate almond dessert!
- Dried Cherries - add a few dried cherries into the filling for a pop of color and sweetness!
- Coconut - add some sweetened coconut to the filling for a bit of texture and sweetness!
If you like the idea of fruit and almond together, check out this Blueberry Almond Galette!
Equipment
Baking Sheet - You'll want to use a large baking sheet for this one, so the Christmas tree has plenty of space to puff up in the oven!
Parchment Paper - Using parchment paper makes this recipe super easy to clean up afterwards!
Top tip
If there's leftover puff pastry, you can cut out shapes to act as ornaments for the tree! My favorite is to cut out a star, then use a little egg wash on the tree as glue, before adding the star to the top!
Storage
- Fridge - store in the fridge for about 2-3 days!
- Freezer - given the size of this Christmas tree it might be hard to freeze! But just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then foil and you can freeze it for up to a month! Let thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm up in the oven!
FAQ
I prefer to use almond flour with this recipe to enhance the almond flour! Typically, it is a 1:1 ratio of almond flour to regular flour, so it should be okay to switch it out with all purpose flour!
Pie crust and puff pastry are similar, so you probably could; however the finished product would be a little different! Pie crust is a bit more sturdy than puff pastry so I wouldn't say it's a good substitution to use!
Cheers!
-Holly Michelle
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Almond Croissant Puff Pastry Christmas Tree
Ingredients
- 2 sheets Puff Pastry
- 1 ½ cup Almond Flour
- ¾ cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Eggs
- 1 stick Butter room temperature
- ½ cup Sliced Almonds
- Powdered Sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a bowl, mix together almond flour, almond extract, vanilla extract, butter, sugar, and one egg until it forms a paste.1 ½ cup Almond Flour, ¾ cup Sugar, 1 teaspoon Almond Extract, ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 1 stick Butter room temperature, 2 Eggs
- Roll out the puff pastry until the seams are flattened. Then cut into a large triangle shape.2 sheets Puff Pastry
- Add about ⅔'s of the almond paste and spread into a thin layer.
- Then roll out the other puff pastry sheet and cut into the same triangle shape. Lay on top of the other puff pastry with the almond paste in the middle.
- Starting on side of the triangle, cut about ¾ inch wide strips making sure you leave about a two-inch wide piece in the middle of the triangle. Repeat this process on the other side.
- Take each strip and twist twice then place down.
- Spread a little bit more of the almond paste down the middle of the tree.
- Create an egg wash with the other egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Then brush on the puff pastry that's not covered in almond paste!2 Eggs
- Add a sprinkle of sliced almonds on top!½ cup Sliced Almonds
- Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes.
- Dust with a little powdered sugar and enjoy!Powdered Sugar for dusting
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