Cream Cheese And Prosciutto Pinwheels Recipe

If you have a night of entertaining on the agenda, it's always nice to have an appetizer recipe that wows your guests with little effort. Tasting Table recipe developer Jessica Morone created these cream cheese and prosciutto pinwheels that meet these criteria and go beyond. She shares, "I love making appetizers with puff pastry, it feels fancy to me." As she points out, "These are simple to make but will seem really impressive to anyone you serve them to."

While this delightful combination of flavors and textures will liven up any gathering, there's no reason why you should have to wait to host company to enjoy this salty treat. "It's so easy it could definitely be served as a snack whenever you want to make it," Morone remarks. If you're a fan of flaky savory bites brimming with a medley of aromas, there's no better way to satisfy your appetite.

For this recipe, you'll need a sheet of frozen puff pastry (thaw it first), a package of cream cheese (bring it to room temperature to soften), and thinly sliced prosciutto. Next, get Dijon mustard, finely chop fresh thyme leaves, and grate a wedge of Parmesan cheese. Finally, you'll need a large egg and water for the egg wash. 

"These flavors all go really well together and are so balanced," Morone comments and describes, "The cream cheese is so smooth, creamy, and cool, the prosciutto is salty and flavorful, the Parmesan is rich and nutty, the Dijon mustard gives it a little bit of spice and tang, and the thyme gives it a little bit of an earthy, savory flavor."

Lay out the thawed puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Then, use a rolling pin to stretch it out to form a 12x10-inch rectangle. Spread the cream cheese in an even layer to cover the surface of the pastry, leaving a border of about ½ an inch around the entire sheet. Next, evenly distribute the sliced prosciutto over the cheese.

Add the mustard and chopped thyme to a small bowl and mix them together to combine. Then, carefully spread the condiment over the top of the prosciutto. Finally, sprinkle grated Parmesan on top to cover the surface.

Whisk the egg and water in a small bowl until they are properly combined. With a pastry brush, brush the eggwash all along the ½-inch border. You should have a bit leftover — save it for the next step. Carefully roll up the pastry into a log, ensuring that it is tight. Wrap the log with plastic wrap and either freeze it for 15 minutes or pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes to make it easier to cut.

"You can definitely prepare this and freeze it before baking," Morone notes. In this case, "Instead of pulling it out of the freezer after 15 minutes, you can just keep it frozen until you are ready to cut them up and bake them," she instructs. "Preparing it ahead of time and freezing it would be useful for whenever you want a quick snack," she adds.

Now, preheat the oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take a serrated knife and cut the pastry log into 12 evenly sized pieces, approximately ½-inch wide. Place them on the lined baking sheet leaving about 2 inches between each pinwheel. Take the remaining egg wash and brush the tops and sides so they get nice and golden.

Transfer the tray to the preheated oven and bake the pinwheels for 15 to 20 minutes or until the pastry has puffed up and turned a golden brown color. Morone advises, "You want to make sure the puff pastry cooks long enough that it becomes golden," and explains that "if you take them out of the oven too soon the dough won't be as flaky and delicious as it could be." Consider yourself warned.

Pull out the baking sheet and let the pinwheels cool slightly before garnishing them with a sprinkling of finely chopped fresh thyme and serving. You can't go wrong with these delicious cheese and prosciutto pinwheels; with such a great start, the meal to follow is sure to be a hit.