Description
A festive and delightful recipe combining flaky shortbread stars with airy choux cream puffs filled with rich pistachio whipped cream, crafted to resemble charming Christmas trees perfect for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Shortbread Cookies
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- a pinch of salt
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Choux Pastry
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
Pistachio Whipped Cream Filling
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, cold
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup pistachio paste (unsweetened or lightly sweetened)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1–2 drops green food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Shortbread Dough: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, then add vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- Form Dough and Cut Shapes: Gradually stir in the flour and a pinch of salt to form a soft dough. Roll out dough to about 1/4-inch thickness, then use a small star-shaped cutter to cut out cookies and place them on the tray.
- Bake Shortbread Cookies: Bake the cookies for 8–10 minutes, until edges turn lightly golden. Remove and cool completely, then dust with powdered sugar for a snowy effect.
- Prepare Choux Pastry Base: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line two baking trays with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, water, salt, and sugar, bringing the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
- Make Choux Dough: Add all the flour at once, stirring vigorously for 2–3 minutes until a smooth dough forms and pulls away from the pan.
- Incorporate Eggs: Transfer dough to a bowl, cool for 5 minutes, then add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each until the dough is glossy and smooth.
- Pipe Choux Puffs: Using a piping bag, pipe three sizes of puffs onto prepared trays to form the base, middle, and top of the Christmas tree.
- Bake Choux Puffs: Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden brown and firm. Remove and cool completely on wire racks.
- Prepare Pistachio Whipped Cream: Whip the cold heavy cream until soft peaks form, then gradually add powdered sugar, pistachio paste, vanilla extract, and optional green food coloring. Whip until stiff peaks form, ensuring a fluffy, flavorful filling.
- Assemble Cream Puffs: Slice each cooled puff horizontally. Fit a piping bag with a star tip and fill with pistachio whipped cream, spreading evenly between layers.
- Build Christmas Trees: Stack the choux puffs starting with the largest on the bottom, medium-sized in the middle, and smallest on top to shape a tree.
- Finish Decoration: Top each tree with a shortbread star and dust lightly with powdered sugar to create a festive snowy appearance.
Notes
- Ensure eggs are at room temperature for best choux pastry results.
- You can substitute pistachio paste with almond or hazelnut paste for a different flavor.
- If food coloring is used, add it gradually to achieve your desired shade of green.
- Shortbread stars can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- For a crispier puff, avoid opening the oven door during the baking process.
