Description
Celebrate the holidays with these festive Pinwheel Christmas Tree Appetizers featuring a creamy blend of cream cheese, olives, red peppers, and fresh dill, all rolled in colorful spinach and plain tortillas. Perfect for entertaining, these easy-to-make pinwheels are chilled and sliced to create a beautiful edible Christmas tree garnished with rosemary and cherry tomatoes.
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 & Garnishes
- 4 large tortillas (2 plain and 2 green spinach tortillas)
- Fresh rosemary for garnish
- Cherry tomatoes for garnish
- Decorative holiday picks, optional for serving
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Chop the red peppers finely and slice the green and black olives if they are not pre-sliced to ensure even distribution in the cream cheese mixture.
- Mix Cream Cheese Base: In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon juice. Use a hand mixer to blend until the mixture is smooth and lump-free.
- Fold in Add-ins: Gently fold in the minced fresh dill, sliced green and black olives, and chopped red peppers into the cream cheese base using a spatula or spoon, ensuring even mixing without deflating the mixture.
- Spread on Tortillas: Lay one tortilla flat on a clean surface. Using an offset spatula, spread about ½ cup of the cream cheese mixture evenly over the entire tortilla surface, reaching all the way to the edges.
- Roll and Chill: Carefully roll up the tortilla tightly, then wrap it securely in plastic wrap to maintain shape. Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas and cream cheese mixture. Place the wrapped rolls in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Slice Pinwheels: After chilling, remove the rolls from the freezer and unwrap them. Slice each roll into ¾-inch thick pinwheels using a sharp knife for clean cuts.
- Assemble Christmas Tree: Arrange the pinwheel slices on a festive platter or wooden board in the shape of a Christmas tree. Garnish with sprigs of fresh rosemary to resemble tree branches, cherry tomatoes as ornaments, and add decorative holiday picks if desired for serving.
Notes
- You can prepare the pinwheels ahead of time by rolling and storing them in the refrigerator. Slice just before serving to maintain freshness.
- For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free tortillas available at many grocery stores.
- Feel free to substitute olives with varieties like kalamata, garlic-stuffed, blue cheese-stuffed, or marinated olives according to your preference.
- If preferred, use drained jarred pimientos in place of red peppers for a different flavor and color.
- Store any leftover pinwheels in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days to keep them fresh.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 pinwheels
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
