recipe

Tear apart crispy pesto twists and dip them into melted, hot cheese… I almost dare to promise that this dish will earn you compliments! For me, at least, it has since it is one of my most popular recipes ever. Baked Camembert with pesto twists is surprisingly easy to make, serves a festive crowd, and looks beautiful on the table — almost like having its own program number at your party.

Ingredients

Serves 10

• 1 Camembert cheese in a wooden box (important to keep the melted cheese in place after baking!)
  
  
  

• 2 large sheets of puff pastry (about 500 g total)
  
  
  

• 1 jar of fresh pesto
  
  
  

• 1 egg, for brushing
  
  
  

• Olive oil
  
  
  

• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
  
  
  

• Fresh thyme

  
  

Instructions

Check out my tutorial video (in Finnish) here.

1. Defrost the puff pastry sheets. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
   
   
   

2. Roll the pastry sheets a bit thinner. Place one sheet on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and spread pesto evenly over it. Place the second sheet on top. Use the disc of camembert as a guide and cut a circle from the center of the pastry the size of the cheese.
   
   
   

3. Carefully remove the plastic wrapping from the cheese, place it back in its wooden box, and set it in the center of the pastry. Score a light criss-cross pattern on the surface of the cheese with a sharp knife. Tuck the garlic slices into the cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle thyme leaves on top.
   
   
   

4. Cut the pastry around the cheese into thin strips and twist them around so that the pesto peeks through. Use the circular cut-out pastry to make a few extra twists and place them on the tray as well. Brush the pastry twists with beaten egg and bake in the oven for 10–15 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden brown.
   
   
   

5. Let cool slightly before serving, and let everyone dip the pesto twists into the melted cheese.

These pizza Christmas trees are a fun and festive twist on classic pizza, perfect for holiday gatherings, kids’ parties, or a cosy pre-Christmas snack. Easy to make, easy to customise, and guaranteed to disappear fast.

You’ll need:

• Ready-made pizza dough or puff pastry

• Tomato sauce or pizza sauce

• Grated mozzarella (or your favourite melting cheese)

• Toppings of choice, such as pepperoni, ham, olives, or vegetables

• Fresh basil or parsley (for decoration)

• Wooden skewers or cocktail sticks

How to make them:

Check out the tutorial video on Anni's Instagram (in Finnish) here.

1. Roll out the pizza dough and cut it into large triangles, like Christmas tree shapes.

2. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce over each triangle.

3. Sprinkle generously with cheese and add your chosen toppings.

4. Carefully thread each pizza triangle onto a skewer, stacking smaller pieces on top if you want a fuller tree shape.

5. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C until the dough is golden, and the cheese is bubbling, about 10–15 minutes depending on thickness.

6. Finish with fresh herbs on top to give your trees that final festive touch.

Tip:
Serve with extra tomato sauce, garlic dip, or chili mayo on the side. These are perfect for sharing and even better eaten warm straight from the oven.

Fun, festive, and delicious. Pizza night just got a Christmas upgrade!

Anni’s Christmas sour is simple, fast to make, and feels thoughtful without requiring perfection or preparation. Soft, tangy, and just the right amount of festive — a Christmas cocktail that feels like a celebration from the very first sip. Perfect for kicking off the holiday season, hosting a Christmas get-together, waiting for Christmas Eve to begin, or simply adding a little extra magic to the table.

For two Christmas sours, you’ll need:
4 cl amaretto
2 cl gin
2 cl grenadine syrup
4 cl lemon juice
2 organic egg whites

• a shaker of your choice

Check out the tutorial video on Anni's Instagram (in Finnish) here.

Shake, shake, shake, strain over ice into a glass, top with foam, and garnish with cherries.
Give it a try and tell us what you thought.

If Finland had to pick one flavor that defines Christmas desserts, it would be simple: plum jam. It’s also the heart of the Finnish Christmas tart (joulutorttu), the childhood memory, the scent that fills the kitchen every December.

But what if you could get the exact same taste, or even better?

That’s why the best Christmas treats aren’t the complicated ones. They’re the ones like this: super quick, unbelievably delicious, and packed with plum marmalade in every bite. Christmas Croissants taste just like the classic joulutorttu, but because the marmalade spreads through the whole pastry, many say they’re even better.

Meet your new holiday essential: Christmas Croissants.

Ingredients (8–12 croissants)

• 500 g puff pastry ( In Finnish: lehti- tai voitaikina)
  
  

• 270 g plum marmalade (In Finnish: luumumarmeladia)

To finish

• 1 tbsp powdered sugar (In Finnish: tomusokeria)

How to make the Christmas Croissants

1. Let the pastry thaw
   Allow the puff pastry sheets to thaw according to package instructions.
   
   

2. Cut into croissant shapes
   Slice each sheet diagonally to form triangles.
   
   

3. Add the Christmas magic
   Spoon about one teaspoon of plum marmalade onto the wide end of each triangle.
   
   

4. Roll them up
   Roll from the wide base toward the tip to shape into croissants.
   
   

5. Bake
   Bake at 225 °C (435 °F) for 10–15 minutes, until golden and crispy.
   
   

6. Finish beautifully
   Dust the warm croissants with powdered sugar.
   Enjoy fresh—they’re irresistible straight from the oven.
   
   

Why this is the best quick Christmas bake

• Takes only minutes
  No folding stars or tricky shapes. Just roll and bake.
  
  

• The true joulutorttu flavor
  Crispy pastry + warm plum jam = pure Finnish Christmas.
  
  

• Perfect jam in every bite
  No more “all the filling in the middle”. The flavor is everywhere.
  
  

Effortless yet elegant. Looks impressive, tastes divine, and works for any moment from breakfast to glögi (mulled wine) gatherings.