Cherry and Pistachio Christmas Dessert

Christmas is the favourite time of year for our household and this cherry, coconut, and pistachio puff pastry Christmas dessert is one of our all time favourite treats. We make it for gatherings of all sizes and everyone seems to enjoy it. It’s so easy to make and is so delicious that everyone asks for the recipe. So, here we are. Let’s all enjoy this simple delicious treat during this festive season.

Ingredients for Cherry and Pistachio Christmas Dessert

Four main ingredients will get you one of the simplest, yet absolutely loved desserts / snacks for the season.

The Ingredients List for the Christmas Recipe:

• 2 sheets of store bought puff pastry
• 1 cup bing cherries
• 1/4 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
• 1/2 cup lightly salted roasted pistachios
• 1 egg

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The Cherries for the Christmas Dessert:

The first step to ensuring we get a crisp bake is draining the cherries from the juice. Do not discard the juice. It makes for a great addition to cocktails or to sparkling water for the kids. Once the cherries are out of the liquid, squeeze them gently to remove any extra liquid that might still be hanging in there. Chop them into small pieces and mix in the desiccated coconut. The coconut helps absorb any extra liquid left in there. Allow the mixture to sit for about 5 mins while you prepare the rest.

Using a mortar and pestle or a grinder, rough grind the pistachios. Set them aside and work on the puff pastry. Remove it from the individual wrapping and lay it on a clean counter space. Using a butter knife, gently score the first piece of puff pastry to form the triangular shape of a Christmas tree. Then mark the second one as well. This one will go on top of the first one once it’s filled. I tend to leave about 1 inch in the center to allow the puff pastry to stay together and not fall apart.

Assembling the Puff Pastry Dessert

By now the coconut should have absorbed all excess liquid from the cherries. We are ready to assemble our puff pastry Christmas dessert. Using a spoon, spread the cherry and coconut mix onto the triangular shape of one layer of the puff pastry. Then layer on the rough ground pistachios on top of that. Grinding the pistachios gives it a great crunch, but it also allows the end result to be crisp. The pistachios too help in making sure there is no extra liquid from the cherries making it soggy. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the mix.

Now we can place the second layer on top of the filled first layer. Using your fingers push down on the center of the tree as well as the sides to ensure that the two layers stick together. Now we can cut off the sides and set them aside. Do not discard those pieces. We will use them to form a star for the top of the tree as well as the tree trunk.

Baking the Puff Pastry Recipe

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F while you are preparing the tree. Using a sharp knife cut the branches of the tree. I make them about 1 inch in width, but you can make them a little thicker if you prefer. Once it has all been cut, we can start to twist. Gently lift each branch, making sure to lift both layers of the puff pastry. Gently twist twice again, turning the entire branch, Some of the filling might fall out, but you can easily pick it up and place it back on the tree once done. Continue to do that until you have twisted the entire tree.

Now to the scraps that we cut off. Using a sharp knife, cut out a star for the top of our puff pastry Christmas dessert, as well as a tree trunk – use both layers when cutting. Remember the 2 tablespoons of the mix we had set aside? Here’s when we’ll use it. Place a little in between the two layers of the star and the rest in between the layers of the trunk. Put these, as well as the remaining scraps onto a parchment lined baking tray. Gently place the tree onto a separate 9 x 13 inch parchment lined baking tray. Whip the egg and using a baking brush, brush everything with the egg wash.

Bake everything for 25-30 minutes or until all the puff pastry has been browned. Remove from the oven and gently lift your puff pastry Christmas dessert off the parchment paper and place it on a cookie tray. Allow the baked puff pastry Christmas dessert to cool down completely before serving. It’s a great treat for kids and adults alike. Enjoy with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream or just as is.

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