The easiest and prettiest Christmas pastry recipe! My 3-ingredient Christmas Star Twist recipe is made with three layers of puff pastry spread with raspberry jam, twisted into a beautiful star shape, brushed with egg wash and baked. It’s buttery, flaky, fruity and so delicious! This impressive dessert is perfect for the holiday season! It’s easy enough to make so you can enjoy it as an everyday treat, or for a special Christmas party!

Check out all my holiday recipes here in my Christmas recipe collection!

Watch My Star Twist Video Tutorial

Watch my YouTube Christmas star twist video tutorial for step-by-step instructions and see how easy it is to make! Want to stay up to date on the latest recipes? Make sure to subscribe to my website email list and my YouTube channel and turn on notifications.

Ingredients for Star Twist Pastry

You’ll need just 3 ingredients to make this delicious star twist pastry!

• Puff Pastry: you’ll need 3 to 4 sheets of store-bought puff pastry. You’ll find it in the freezer aisle at your grocery store. It’s usually sold next to other frozen desserts and ice cream.
• Jam: I made my star twist with raspberry preserves, but just about any jam will work great. Some other options are strawberry jam, cranberry jelly, blackberry preserves.
• Egg: just one egg is needed for the egg wash. This will help the pastry turn a beautiful golden color and give the pastry a slightly glossy finish.
• Optional: confectioner’s sugar – sprinkle some powdered sugar over the pastry right before serving, if desired. It gives the star pastry a nice, festive touch!

Supplies & Tools for the Recipe

Need some supplies or tools for making this recipe at home? Shop my Amazon Affiliate links for some of the items I use in my kitchen. Using these links won’t cost you extra and I’ll earn a small commission.

• Aluminum Baking Sheets: these are so great for baking desserts and roasting vegetables.
• 3-inch Cookie Cutter: this set has several different sizes.
• Silicon Baking Mat: great for baking just about anything!

Defrosting the Puff Pastry

Before making this Christmas star twist pastry, you’ll need to defrost the puff pastry.

Place the puff pastry into your refrigerator the night before and allow it to thaw slowly overnight. You can also defrost it at room temperature for about 1 hour if you need to make it the same day. Place it back into the fridge for about 30 minutes before using.

Make sure the puff pastry is nicely chilled before starting to assemble the pastry. Warm puff pastry will stretch more easily and stick to your work surface.

How to Make Christmas Star Twist

Making this star twist bread is super quick and easy! Here’s how to assemble it:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Assemble the star on a sheet of parchment paper or a silicon mat. Unwrap the first sheet of puff pastry and roll it out gently to flatten it. Using a knife and an 8 to 10-inch disk (such as a pan or lid), cut the pastry dough into a circle. You can save the scraps for later.
3. Spread a generous amount of raspberry preserves onto the pastry, evenly to all edges. Next, repeat this process with the second sheet of puff pastry. Add the final and third layer of pastry over the top but don’t add jam on top!
4. Slide the parchment paper or mat onto a large baking sheet.
5. Place a 2 to 3-inch round cookie cutter, glass or mug into the center of the pastry. Using a sharp knife, cut 16 equal sized wedges starting from the edge of the cookie cutter (not the center!). Watch my video tutorial to see how it’s done.
6. Take two wedges and gently begin twisting them away from each other, twisting about 4 to 6 times, then pinch the bottoms together. Do this for all the wedges, creating 8 pairs of twisted dough.
7. Beat the egg with a touch of water in a small bowl, then use a pastry brush to coat the pastry generous with beaten egg.

Using Up Scrap Puff Pastry

If you have scraps and trimmings left over, you can use them to create small pastries. Check out my video tutorial to see what I did with mine!

Trim the leftovers into long strips, coat with jam, then fold over and twist. Shape the twisted dough into a roll and bake along with the main pastry.

Baking Instructions for the Pastry

Bake the star twist pastry in an oven preheated to 400F for about 35 to 40 minutes. After 10 to 15 minutes, place a sheet of foil over the pastry to prevent it from browning and becoming too dark.

The pastry is done with the dough looks fluffy and golden, not wet and doughy. Remove it from the oven and let the pastry cool on the pan for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar, then dig in to enjoy!

Using Yeast Dough instead of Puff Pastry

If you don’t have puff pastry, or if you want more of a bread than a pastry, you can make this twist using yeast dough. Here’s my go-to recipe for sweet yeast dough:

Ingredients for Yeast Dough:   

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tbsp dry active yeast
• ½ cup white granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup melted, unsalted butter
• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1. To prepare the yeast dough: first, heat the milk in the microwave or on the stovetop until it’s lukewarm, between 120 and 130F. Sprinkle in the dry yeast, then let the mixture stand for 5 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, butter, salt, and eggs. Beat until smooth, then pour in the milk and yeast mixture. Whisk again, then gradually begin adding in the flour, about ½ cup at a time.
3. When a dough ball starts to form, transfer the dough onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough, adding more flour as needed, until a soft and elastic dough forms. Place the dough back into the mixing bowl, cover it with a towel, and allow it to proof for 1 to 1 ½ hrs, or until it’s doubled in size.
4. Once the dough has proofed, punch it down gently, then divide it into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece out into a circle on a lightly floured work surface. Follow the same instructions for shaping the dough.
5. After shaping the dough into a star twist, brush the top with egg wash, then allow the bread to proof for about 30 to 45 minutes, until it’s fluffy. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the bread is golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of 190F.

More Recipes!

Enjoyed this easy and delicious holiday recipe? Check out some of my other recipes you’re sure to enjoy!

• Pistachio Baklava Rolls: another quick and easy dessert recipe, this one made with puff pastry, diced pistachios and honey! A favorite of mine!
• Poppy Seed Rolls: fluffy and buttery bread rolls filled with poppy seeds, sugar, walnuts, and dried cranberries. Delicious with a cup of tea or coffee!
• Classic Profiteroles: classic cream puffs never go out of style! Fluffy pate a choux filled with vanilla pastry cream, then dipped in chocolate. Yumm!
• Baked Apple Roses: another quick and easy puff pastry dessert, made with thinly sliced apples and apple butter rolled into a beautiful rose shaped pastry!

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