Description
This festive Pinwheel Christmas Tree Appetizer is a delightful and colorful holiday treat made with creamy seasoned cream cheese, olives, red peppers, and fresh herbs rolled into spinach and plain tortillas. Chilled and sliced into bite-sized pinwheels, they are arranged into a charming Christmas tree shape and garnished with rosemary sprigs and cherry tomato ‘ornaments’, perfect for holiday parties and gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Cream Cheese Mixture
- 16 oz cream cheese (2 blocks), room temperature
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup green olives, sliced
- ¼ cup black olives, sliced
- ¼ cup red peppers, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill, minced
Tortillas and Garnish
- 4 large tortillas (2 plain and 2 spinach/green)
- Fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish
- Cherry tomatoes for garnish
- Decorative holiday picks (optional) for serving
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables: Chop the red peppers finely and slice the green and black olives if they are not already sliced. This prep ensures even distribution of flavors in the cream cheese filling.
- Make the cream cheese mixture: In a large bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon juice. Using a hand mixer, blend until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps for a creamy base.
- Fold in the add-ins: Using a spatula or spoon, gently fold in the minced fresh dill, sliced green and black olives, and finely chopped red peppers until evenly distributed throughout the cream cheese.
- Spread the mixture on tortillas: Lay one tortilla flat on a clean surface. Using an offset spatula, spread about ½ cup of the cream cheese mixture over the tortilla, spreading it evenly up to the edges.
- Roll and chill: Carefully roll up the tortilla tightly and wrap it with plastic wrap. Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas. Place the wrapped rolls in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up, making them easier to slice.
- Slice the pinwheels: Remove the chilled rolls from the freezer and unwrap. Slice each roll crosswise into ¾-inch thick pinwheels, aiming for approximately 8 pieces per roll, totaling 32 pinwheels.
- Arrange and garnish: On a festive platter or wooden serving board, arrange the pinwheel slices in the shape of a Christmas tree. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs to resemble tree branches and place cherry tomato halves as ‘ornaments’. Optionally, add decorative holiday picks for presentation.
Notes
- You can prepare the rolled tortillas ahead of time and keep them wrapped in the refrigerator; slice them just before serving to maintain freshness.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, choose gluten-free tortillas available at most grocery stores.
- Feel free to substitute the green and black olives with your favorite varieties, such as Kalamata, garlic-stuffed, or marinated olives.
- You can replace the red peppers with drained jarred pimientos if preferred.
- Store leftover pinwheels in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pinwheel
- Calories: 70
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
