Description
These Deviled Egg Christmas Trees are a festive and creative twist on the classic appetizer, featuring tall, overstuffed deviled eggs shaped like Christmas trees. Made with a creamy spinach and egg yolk filling, decorated with colorful pepper pieces and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese 'snow', they are perfect for holiday gatherings and sure to impress your guests.
Ingredients
Eggs
- 7 large eggs
Spinach Mixture
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
- 5 oz baby spinach
Filling
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons dehydrated potato flakes
Decorations
- 1 red Fresno chili pepper, minced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into small stars
- Parmesan cheese, for grating
Instructions
- Cook the eggs: Bring a pot of water to a boil and carefully add the eggs. Boil the eggs for 9 and a half minutes to hard boil them. Prepare an ice water bath while the eggs cook. Once done, transfer the eggs to the ice bath to stop the cooking and cool completely.
- Prepare the eggs: Peel the cooled eggs and rinse them under cold water. Slice the eggs in half along the short axis (so that each half looks round and you cut through the center of the yolk). It’s okay if the yolk isn’t perfectly halved. Cut a small flat edge on the bottom of each egg white half so they can stand upright without tipping over. Set the egg yolks and egg whites aside in the fridge separately.
- Cook the spinach: Heat butter in a frying pan over medium heat. When it starts melting, add the sliced garlic and sauté briefly until fragrant. Add the baby spinach and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring until the spinach wilts and any moisture evaporates. Remove from heat and cool completely.
- Make the filling: In a blender, combine the cooled spinach mixture, egg yolks, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, smoked paprika, hot sauce, and dehydrated potato flakes. Blend until completely smooth. Refrigerate the filling until fully chilled. Stir the filling and if it’s too loose to hold shape, add a little more potato flakes and mix.
- Assemble the deviled egg trees: Transfer the filling to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Arrange the egg whites upright on a platter. Pipe the filling into the egg whites by gently bobbing the tip up and down to create a tall Christmas tree shape with layered peaks. Aim for a height you feel confident with, about 10–12 filled eggs in total.
- Decorate: Using two toothpicks, affix 5-6 small pieces of minced red Fresno pepper on each tree as ornaments. Place a yellow bell pepper star at the top of each tree. Finally, grate parmesan cheese over the trees using a microplane grater to create a snowy effect. Serve immediately or keep chilled until serving.
Notes
- The recipe yields extra egg whites and filling to account for any mistakes, so you can make 10 to 12 deviled egg trees.
- Make sure to cool the spinach and egg yolk filling thoroughly to make piping easier and the mixture stable enough to hold shape.
- Adjust the amount of dehydrated potato flakes to ensure the filling is thick and stiff enough to pipe upright.
- If you don’t have a piping bag with a star tip, you can use a zip-top bag with a small corner cut off for piping.
- For a milder version, omit the hot sauce or reduce smoked paprika.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American, Holiday
