Time to spread some holiday cheer with your baking skills! Today, we'll jazz up our festivities with an exciting Pull-Apart Christmas Tree. Trust me, it will be as fun to make as it is to eat. Now, let me guide you through this delightful, cheesy adventure. Let's dive in!
What you'll need:
- A pound of ready-to-use pizza dough (the refrigerated kind)
- An egg wash (just whip up 1 egg with a tablespoon of water, easy peasy)
- 7 sticks of mozzarella (ooh, can you feel the cheesiness?)
- 1/4 cup melted butter (because, why not!)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan, finely grated (because what's pizza without Parmesan?)
- A sprinkle of herbs - 1 tablespoon each of thinly sliced basil, chopped parsley, and chopped rosemary (brings a Christmas aroma to the mix)
- Your favorite warmed marinara sauce for serving (you could say it's the star that sits atop our tree)
Let's put it together:
Step 1: Preliminaries
Set your oven to warm up at 450° while we prepare. Sling a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, chop the mozzarella sticks into lovely 1-inch pieces and set them aside for later.
Step 2: The Dough-Making Magic
Split your pizza dough into two equally delightful parts on a dusted surface. Each piece needs to be stretched and rolled into a long rectangle. Once you've got that right, it's time to play pizza-dough-tic-tac-toe and cut the dough into 2” squares (you need 33, one for every elf at the workshop!).
Step 3: Christmas In The Making
This next step is where the magic really happens. Take each dough square and lovingly wrap it around a piece of that mozzarella we chopped up earlier, making sure it's tightly sealed like a present. Arrange these adorable dough balls seam-side down on the baking tray, placing them so they represent our Christmas tree (yes – they should be touching like all good ornaments do). Show them some love by brushing them with some egg wash and onto the oven they go until they turn golden brown, which should take around 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 4: The Final Touch
While our dough ornaments are baking, let's whisk together the melted butter, the Parmesan, and our trio of aromatic herbs. This heavenly combination is then generously brushed on our freshly baked pizza balls. Serve warm with a side of your favorite marinara for dipping.
There you have it - a festive Pull-Apart Christmas Tree that's sure to light up your Christmas night. Enjoy!