Description
This festive Pinwheel Christmas Tree Appetizer is a delightful and visually stunning party treat featuring creamy, savory cream cheese mixed with olives, red peppers, and fresh dill, all rolled in colorful spinach and plain tortillas. Perfectly chilled and sliced into bite-sized pinwheels, they are arranged into a charming Christmas tree shape and garnished with rosemary and cherry tomatoes, making an eye-catching and delicious addition to any holiday celebration.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 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
Wraps and Garnish
- 4 large tortillas (2 plain and 2 green spinach)
- Fresh rosemary for garnish
- Cherry tomatoes for garnish
- Decorative holiday picks (optional) for serving
Instructions
- Prepare Vegetables: Chop the red peppers finely and slice the green and black olives if they are not pre-sliced to ensure even distribution and easy rolling.
- Mix Cream Cheese Base: In a large bowl, combine the room temperature cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon juice. Using a hand mixer, blend until smooth and creamy without any lumps.
- Fold in Fresh Ingredients: Gently fold the minced fresh dill, sliced green and black olives, and finely chopped red peppers into the cream cheese mixture with a spatula to evenly distribute without deflating the mixture.
- Spread Mixture on Tortillas: Place one tortilla flat on a clean surface. Use an offset spatula to spread about ½ cup of the cream cheese mixture evenly over the tortilla, spreading all the way to the edges for full coverage.
- Roll and Chill: Carefully roll up the tortilla tightly and wrap it securely with plastic wrap. Repeat this process for all four tortillas (two plain and two spinach).
- Freeze for Slicing: Chill the wrapped rolled tortillas in the freezer for 30 minutes. This firms them up, making them easier to slice cleanly.
- Slice into Pinwheels: Remove the rolls from the freezer and unwrap. Using a sharp knife, slice each roll into ¾-inch thick pinwheels for perfect bite-sized appetizers.
- Arrange and Garnish: Arrange the sliced pinwheels on a festive platter or wooden serving board in the shape of a Christmas tree. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs to mimic tree branches and add cherry tomatoes as colorful ornaments. Use holiday picks if desired for additional festive flair.
Notes
- You can prepare the rolled tortillas ahead of time and store them wrapped in the refrigerator. Slice them just before serving to keep them fresh and easy to handle.
- For a gluten-free option, choose gluten-free tortillas available from most grocery stores.
- Feel free to customize olives with different varieties such as Kalamata, garlic-stuffed, or marinated olives to suit your taste.
- If you prefer, substitute the red peppers with drained jarred pimientos to maintain a similar flavor and texture.
- Store any leftover pinwheels tightly covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 pinwheels (approx.)
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
