Christmas Tree Pastry and Hot Chocolate Dip

Looking for festive and delicious treats to bring some extra cheer to your holiday gatherings? These new recipes from the Butter Braid® Pastry kitchen are sure to be a hit. The Christmas Tree Pastry is made with soft, buttery cinnamon pastries twisted into a tree shape. Serve it alongside a creamy Hot Chocolate Dip for a holiday flavor combination like no other. It’s easy enough to make, requiring only a few ingredients, yet impressive enough to WOW all your guests.  

Try our Christmas Tree Pastry and Hot Chocolate Dip for yourself this holiday season! Follow the detailed baking instructions below, and you’ll have two sweet Christmas treats that are guaranteed to make your seasonal celebrations even sweeter.

Ingredients

• Christmas Tree Pastry:
  • 2 Cinnamon Butter Braid® Pastries
  • Powdered sugar

• Hot Chocolate Dip:
  • 7.5 oz. marshmallow fluff
  • 8 oz. whipped topping
  • 1/3 c. hot chocolate mix

Step-By-Step Directions

For the Christmas Tree Pastry

1. Remove the pastries from their packaging and set out to thaw for 2 hours.
2. Once thawed, unbraid the pastries and scoop out the cinnamon filling. Place the filling in a bowl and set aside.
3. Grease two 13×18-inch pans then flatten out each of your dough slabs onto the pans.
4. Warm the cinnamon filling for about 20 seconds to soften. Spread it over one of the dough layers, then, carefully, place the second dough layer on top.
5. Use a ruler to find the center of your dough slab. Start at the top of the slab and angle the ruler down to the bottom left corner. With a pizza cutter, slice from the top center of the pastry to the bottom left corner.
6. Repeat by using the ruler and pizza cutter to slice from the top center of the pastry slab to the bottom right corner. Your dough slab should now resemble a giant triangle.
7. Next, use the ruler as a guide to cut 1-inch-thick strips from the center of the triangle out to the edges. Leave about 1-inch of the center of the dough intact.
8. Twist each strip of dough upwards to create the tree’s “branches”.
9. Use any leftover dough to cut out stars and a square tree trunk. Place them on your tree.
10. Preheat the oven to 325°F and bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
11. Let cool slightly then sprinkle with powdered sugar for a more festive look. Enjoy alongside a serving of Hot Chocolate Dip!

For the Hot Chocolate Dip

1. Blend together the whipped topping and marshmallow fluff until smooth.
2. Mix in hot chocolate powder to taste.
3. Serve as an accompaniment to your Christmas Tree Pastry.

Tips for Making a Christmas Tree Pastry and Hot Chocolate Dip

• Store your leftover Christmas Tree Pastry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Any leftover Hot Chocolate Dip can be stored in a sealed container and put in the refrigerator. It can be stored like this for up to 4 days.
• When making your Christmas Tree Pastry, press each branch down so they slightly touch each other. This will help them hold their shape while baking.
• If you find the dough a little hard to work with when making your pastry, refrigerate it briefly. This will help make it easier to handle.