Spinach and Pesto Christmas Tree Breadsticks

A fun festive snack made for sharing, these spinach and pesto breadsticks are assembled into a Christmas tree! Pull it apart and indulge with all your guests this holiday season.
Serves: 8-10 Prep time: 45 minutes + proofing Cooking time: 25 minutes.
Skill level: Not too hard Dietary: -
INGREDIENTS
½ tsp dried yeast
2 cups high-grade flour
1 tsp caster sugar
2 cups spinach
50g basil pesto
125g cream cheese, softened
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp mixed herbs
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
METHOD
Place three-quarter cups of lukewarm water in a large bowl and sprinkle over the yeast, leave to sit for 5 minutes. Add the flour, sugar, a teaspoon of salt and two tablespoons of olive oil and mix until a soft dough forms. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, or until stretchy and soft. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and set aside to proof in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
Meanwhile, make the filling by blanching the spinach in hot water for 30 seconds, then plunge in ice water. Squeeze out the excess water from the spinach and roughly chop. Add the spinach to a medium bowl along with the pesto, cream cheese, garlic and mixed herbs. Stir until well combined. Preheat your oven to 200°C fan bake.
Reserve a small portion of the dough for the tree stump, then on a lightly floured surface, roll out the remaining dough into a large rectangle, around 36cm by 30cm. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut a large tall triangle in the centre of the dough, by cutting from the centre of the top to the bottom corners. Place the two outer triangles together on a lined baking tray and pinch the edges together to create one tall triangle. Shape the reserved dough into two small tree stumps and add one to the bottom of the tree, pinching together to seal.
Spread the spinach mixture over the top and sprinkle over the mozzarella cheese. Place the tall triangle dough on top, along with the second tree stump at the bottom and pinch them together to seal. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut 2cm horizontal strips in the tree to create branches. Twist the branches.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Top tip: Brush some oil on the edges of your dough to help it pinch together into a Christmas tree shape if necessary.
Before baking, brush your breadsticks with melted butter and sprinkle over salt, pepper and dried mixed herbs for that gleaming finish.
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