My life is a little chaotic at times and, more often than I’d care to admit, I’ve forgotten that a gathering is bring and share, or that there’s a chef’s day at my son’s school, etc. I like to make things myself, but I also often don’t have the time or inclination.
This recipe has saved me a NUMBER of times – I get to seem all Martha Stewart without having to put hours in the kitchen (or jail).
Ingredients:
- Ready made puff pastry, thawed (Thaw by leaving frozen pastry in the fridge overnight)
- Cheese (you can go wild here)
- Other flavour combo that can be spread or scattered. (see below ideas)
Method
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Rolling the pastry up along the long edge means you get more out of your roll, and also that the pinwheels are not the size of your face.. Unroll the pastry on a counter, keeping the plastic underneath the pastry.
- Using a rolling pin, make the pastry even longer by rolling along the length.
- Spread your topping on the pastry, and then scatter cheese over it (a little goes a long way)
- Roll the pastry along the long edge. Keep it rolled quite tightly to stop the cheese from spilling out when you cut it.
- Once rolled, place the tube into the freezer for about 15 – 30 minutes. This helps the pinwheels keep their shape when you cut them.
- Prepare the baking tray – use baking paper (this is not the same as wax paper).. or my favourite, a silicone mat.
- Take the cooled pastry from the freezer and preheat an oven to 180C
- Cut 1cm wheels and put the pinwheels on the baking tray with a couple of centimeters between them (they will expand).
*If you want to freeze the pinwheels, you can either freeze raw, or cook them until just hardened, and you can warm up in the oven when ready. Freeze pastries in a single sheet on the baking tray and when they’re hard, pop them in a tupperware in the freezer. I find it easier to par-bake first, to avoid losing cheese..- Bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes (check to see when the pastry is golden and the cheese is starting to crisp.
If you use a sweet topping in your pinwheels (e.g. chutney), check them every 5 minutes or so, and flip the pinwheels when they start to harden. This stops the sugar from burning. .
Pinwheel variations:
- Cheese & bacon.. (you could add a little finely chopped onion too)
- Cheese & Chutney
- Cheese & Tapenade
- Cheese & Sun-dried tomato
You get the idea…
Also check out our ‘recipe’ for Camembert Bites.. another very quick canape.
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