Gourmet Christmas Wreath: Starters, Salads And Desserts

The festive table is the key to a successful and fun celebration. In addition to taking care of the decoration which is a sign of good taste and attention to the guests, it is imperative to pay particular attention to the Christmas menu. Whether you plan to prepare traditional or revisited dishes, your diners at the table will appreciate your application. Because nothing beats creativity to surprise your loved ones while feasting them, show your imagination with our gourmet Christmas wreath recipes.

Gourmet Christmas wreath to prepare a festive table that is out of the ordinary

Aperitif, salad or dessert, the gourmet Christmas wreath comes in different forms. Depending on the dish it is made from, you can serve it at the start of the festive dinner, in the middle of the meal or as a dessert. We are going to present you several ideas of edible wreaths to put on the festive table, starting with the entrance. Then we will focus on the salad and, finally, we will pay special attention to the dessert. Let's go!

Appetizer puff wreath for Christmas

Ingredients for 8 portions:

• 200 g baby carrots

• 2 red peppers

• 200 g button mushrooms

• 150 g cranberries

• 150 g pine nuts

• 100 g roasted chestnuts

• 1 tbsp. of rapeseed oil

• Sea salt and black pepper

• 350 g of crispy white bread

• 1 clove of garlic

• 150 g of spinach

• 1 orange

• 2 tbsp. of brandy

• 1 tbsp. cinnamon

• 1 sprig of rosemary

• 1 kg of ready-to-use puff pastry

• 1 egg

• Cranberry sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 190 ° C. Cut the carrots in half, seed and cut the peppers in half. Place them in a roasting pan, also adding the mushrooms, cranberries, pine nuts and chestnuts. Coat everything with oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes.

2. In the meantime, place the bread and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Mix them into breadcrumbs. Transfer this to a large bowl. Add the spinach, orange zest, brandy and 100 ml of boiling water. Mix everything well. Stir in the roasted vegetables and cinnamon and set aside. Chop the rosemary and add it to the mixture.

3. Preheat the oven to 200 ° C.

4. On a lightly floured surface, place the two sheets of dough on top of each other and press to obtain a large sheet. Spread about 45 cm. Transfer to a sheet of baking paper. Lightly mark two concentric circles in the dough (18 cm in diameter for the small one and 28 cm in diameter for the large one). Using a sharp knife, cut out curved lines from the edge of the outer circle to the edge of the rectangle. Then cut triangles in the inner circle (vertices towards the center).

5. Spread the filling on the ring formed between the two circles. Start folding the outer and inner dough strips, alternating them. They must meet in the middle.

6. Beat the egg and brush the crown with it. Transfer the gourmet crown with the baking paper to a large baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes until the crown is nicely golden.

7. Once ready, transfer the crown to a serving platter and serve with the sprigs of fresh rosemary and cranberry sauce.

Christmas appetizer wreath full of color and variety

Bring variety to your festive table by swapping the cheese board and charcuterie board for a cute Christmas appetizer wreath. Easy to make and very original, this idea promises to make an impact at the table! Among the ingredients to use: green olives stuffed with blue cheese, pitted kalamata greek olives, pitted castelvetrano green olives, marinated artichoke hearts, pepperazzi cherry peppers, marinated mushrooms, marcona almonds, pieces of parmesan, slices of salami etc.

Hummus gourmet wreath for Christmas

Ingredients:

• 480 g of homemade or canned hummus

• ½ cup of crumbled feta cheese

• ¼ cup of chopped green onions

• ¾ cup of chopped flat-leaf parsley

• 1 tsp. teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil

• 1 pinch of salt

• Cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 large red pepper

• 1 to 1 ½ tsp. finely crumbled feta cheese

• Optional dips: pita chips, whole wheat pita wedges, or green and red vegetables

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, combine homemade (or store-bought) hummus with crumbled feta cheese and chopped green onions. Mix.

2. On a round serving dish, place a glass or small bowl upside down in the middle. If you plan to serve this appetizer with a bowl full of dips in the middle of the crown, plan a larger bowl around which to shape the crown.

3. Spread the hummus around the bowl in an even layer. Then carefully remove the bowl.

4. In a small bowl, combine the parsley, olive oil and salt. Place this mixture on the hummus. Garnish with cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with finely crumbled feta cheese.

Brioche bread crown with pesto

Ingredients:

• 1 C. tablespoon active yeast

• 2 tbsp. of sugar

• 400 ml of lukewarm water

• ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil

• 4 ½ cups of high quality flour (about 620 g)

• 2 tbsp. teaspoon salt

• ½ cup red pesto

• ½ cup green pesto

• 6 pitted black olives for garnish

• Bay leaves (optional)

Preparation:

1. Mix the yeast and sugar with lukewarm water and let stand for 5 minutes to dissolve and activate.

2. Place the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.

3. Add olive oil to the water and yeast mixture then pour everything into the bowl with the flour. Stir to combine.

4. Invert dough onto floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Sprinkle the dough with a little flour every now and then while kneading, to prevent it from becoming too sticky.

5. Place the dough in a large bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil and turn it over to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place for an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

6. Remove the dough from the bowl and cut it into two equal portions. On a floured work surface, roll out each portion into a large rectangle. Divide the red pesto on one of the rectangles and the green pesto on the other.

7. Roll each rectangle lengthwise into a long snake. Then cut each snake in half lengthwise. Transfer two pieces (one topped with red pesto and the other - with green pesto) on a baking sheet. Twist them together, keeping the cut sides facing up. Arrange the twisted snake in a circle and tuck the ends in to form a crown. Repeat with the remaining snakes.

8. Let the shaped crowns come up for about half an hour. You can decorate them by pushing a few olives into the dough.

9. Bake the gourmet crowns at 200 ° C on a fan or at 220 ° C in a regular oven for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Christmas wreath salad with tomatoes, bocconcini and olives

Want to revisit the traditional mistletoe wreath? Why not go for a gourmet Christmas wreath like the one above? Easy to make and very original, it will look great on the festive table.

Ingredients:

• Branches of fresh rosemary

• Cherry tomatoes

• Candied sundried tomatoes

• Mix of green and black olives without pit

• Bocconcini cheese balls

Arrange the sprigs of fresh rosemary in a wreath on a cutting board. Decorate with the garnishes provided. Here !



Kale salad topped with grape tomatoes as a gourmet Christmas wreath

Ingredients:

• 215 g kale kale

• 150 g grape tomatoes

• 1 red pepper

• 30 g Asiago cheese

For the vinaigrette:

• 6 tbsp. tablespoon olive oil

• 3 tbsp. garlic, chopped

• 5 tbsp. lemon juice

• 1 tbsp. teaspoon salt

• ½ tsp. black pepper

1. Pour the lemon garlic vinaigrette over the kale. Start tossing the salad with both hands to coat each piece. Then massage the kale for a few minutes to tenderize it.
2. Place a small bowl in the center of a large round platter. Arrange the kale around the edge of the small container, forming a wreath. Decorate with grape tomatoes and sprinkle with grated cheese. Finish by placing a knot of red pepper.

Gourmet Christmas wreath Caprese style

Ingredients for the salad:

• 600 g of grape or cherry tomatoes

• 300 g of bocconcini cheese balls

• 2 tbsp. tablespoons olive oil

• 3-4 tbsp. of Italian spice blend

• 1 handful of fresh basil leaves, to garnish

• Flaked sea salt

• Ground pepper

For the balsamic reduction:

• 1 ½ cup of balsamic vinegar

• 3 tbsp. brown sugar

Instructions:

1. Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat for a few minutes (until the sugar has dissolved), stirring occasionally. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about ten minutes.

2. Wash and dry the tomatoes. Arrange them in a circle on a large serving plate or round dish. Drain the bocconcini balls and arrange them between the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and season with Italian spices, salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped fresh basil.

3. To serve, place the bowl with the balsamic reduction in the center of the crown. Arrange toothpicks around the tomatoes and cheese balls, with the pointed ends toward the middle of the plate.

Cinnamon brioche wreath in the shape of a gourmet Christmas wreath

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk

• 2/3 cup (135 g) granulated sugar

• 1 ½ tsp. of yeast

• ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature, cut into 4 pieces

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

• ½ tsp. teaspoon salt

• 4 ½ cups (558 g) all-purpose flour

Garnish:

• 6 tbsp. (90 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar

• 1 ½ tsp. tablespoon ground cinnamon

Vanilla icing:

• 1 cup (120 g) icing sugar

• ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

• 2 tsp. (30 ml) milk

Preparation:

1. Put the yeast and the sugar in the warmed milk (25 ° C maximum). Cover with a towel and let stand until the yeast is foamy, about 5-10 minutes.

2. In the bowl of your food processor (fitted with the foil), put the butter and beat it until it is smooth. Then add the eggs, one at a time, and the salt. Add the flour gradually, at low speed.

3. Increase speed and beat until dough is soft and pliable, about 6 minutes.

4. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Let stand in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, about 1-2 hours.

5. Line a large baking sheet with floured parchment paper. Take out the dough with floured hands and tap it to form a 25 cm x 50 cm rectangle.

For garnish:

6. Spread the softened butter on the dough. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar, until well blended, then sprinkle evenly over dough. Roll the dough into a tight sausage and form a crown. Score 20 rolls 1.5 cm thick starting from the outside and being careful not to go all the way to the center. Place a bowl in the middle of the wreath. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise while hot, about 45 minutes.

7. Preheat the oven to 177 ° C. Bake the brioche crown for 25 minutes, until the brioches are golden brown.

8. Let cool for ten minutes before garnishing with icing.

Gourmet crown of profiteroles

Ingredients:

• 13 thawed profiteroles

• 2 cups canned whipped cream

• 1 cup whole cranberry sauce

• ¼ cup milk chocolate, melted in double boiler

• ¼ cup white chocolate melted in double boiler

• Cranberries and mint leaves to garnish

1. Cut the profiteroles in half. Top with a spoonful of whipped cream and a little cranberry sauce.

2. Place the profiteroles next to each other on a serving platter to form a circle. Drizzle the dessert with melted chocolate and add a few cranberries among the sprouts. Decorate with a few fresh mint leaves.

Crown of cupcakes decorated as pink holly

Ingredients:

• 18 cupcakes in golden boxes

• Vanilla

frosting • White fondant

• Pink gel food coloring

• 1 holly cookie cutter

• Pink Sixlet

candies

• Golden ball candies • 1 ribbon

* Antipasti appetizer crown: foodiecrush.com

* Puff pastry with vegetables: landscapemagazine.co.uk/recipes

* Brioche bread crown with pesto: quitegoodfood.co.nz

* Gourmet hummus wreath: twohealthykitchens.com

* Crown salad with kale: savortheflavour.com

* Caprese salad in crown: cafedelites.com

* Cinnamon brioche crown: sallysbakingaddiction.com