Description
Delightful ham and cheese puff pastry pinwheels roll up your favorite sandwich flavors into a crispy, golden-brown treat that disappears faster than you can bake them. Grab some puff pastry, layer on your preferred ham and cheese, then swirl and slice for an easy appetizer that’ll make your guests smile.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- 1 cup diced ham
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Seasoning Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Egg Wash:
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Allow 8 oz cream cheese to soften at room temperature for 15 minutes to ensure smooth mixing.
- Combine cream cheese, 1 cup diced ham, ½ cup shredded cheddar, 2 tbsp chives, ¼ tsp black pepper, and ⅛ tsp salt in a bowl until thoroughly blended.
- Dust your work surface lightly with flour and unfold the puff pastry sheet carefully.
- Spread the ham and cheese mixture across the pastry, keeping a ½-inch border around all edges to prevent overflow.
- Roll the pastry tightly from the long side, creating a compact log shape with even distribution of filling.
- Refrigerate the rolled pastry for 10 minutes to help it firm up and make slicing easier.
- Cut the pastry log into ½-inch thick pinwheels using a sharp knife in smooth, steady motions.
- Whisk 1 egg with 1 tbsp water to create a glossy egg wash for browning.
- Arrange pinwheels on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them to allow proper expansion.
- Brush the tops of each pinwheel generously with the egg wash for a golden shine.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until the pinwheels turn a rich golden brown and puff up beautifully.
- Rest the pinwheels for 5 minutes after removing from the oven to help them set and cool slightly.
Notes
- Cream cheese should be genuinely soft but not melted for the best texture in your filling mixture.
- Chilling the rolled pastry helps create cleaner, more precise pinwheel slices that hold their shape during baking.
- For a gluten-free version, swap traditional puff pastry with a gluten-free alternative made from rice or potato flour.
- Experiment with different cheese combinations like Swiss or Gruyère to customize the flavor profile of your pinwheels.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-18 minutes
- Category: Ham
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 375 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg