For as much as I love the main meal and side dishes – appetizers are just so much fun to make and eat! It is so much fun to go to a party where you get to pick from a variety of appetizers instead of having a traditional dinner format. Over the years I have been exploring more recipes to start off a gathering. Everyone likes a little something before dinner with his or her cocktail. This is a yummy appetizer with a bit of sharpness from the Gruyere cheese and the Honey Dijon Mustard. Plus there are not a lot of ingredients so they do not take too much time to assemble. They are best served hot out of the oven but they can be reheated the next day in the microwave on a microwave safe plate lined with a paper towel for about 15 to 20 seconds.
This recipe was inspired from Fine Cooking Appetizers: 200 Recipes for Small Bites with Big Flavor. Plate them on a nice, heat safe serving platter and then topped with more chives or basil. I hope you enjoy this yummy recipe!!
Ingredients
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed and room temperature
Flour
Egg Wash Ingredients
1 egg
1 tbsp. Water
Filling Ingredients
2 tbsp. Honey Dijon mustard
1 cup shredded Gruyère Cheese
1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 tbsp. Chives, dried
1 tbsp. Basil, fresh
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 375°F. Prepare the egg wash in a small bowl with a fork. Blend together the filling ingredients in a small bowl.
Lightly flour the work surface. Unfold the pastry sheet then lightly dust with flour and your hands if necessary. Use a rolling pin to carefully flatten out the creases. Be careful to not let the puff pastry dough get too soft since it can be hard to work with requiring more flour on your board and hands. I found that out the hard way! If it is too soft you may need to use your hands to flatten out the creases.
Once the pastry is prepped, brush it with egg wash – leaving about half of it for topping the final pinwheels before baking. Since you are going to roll your pastry to get the pinwheels, you want to evenly spread the filling ingredients over the puff pastry to almost the end.
Starting at the side closest to you, roll the pastry up like a jellyroll. Blend in the seam to keep them from bursting. Then cut the roll into about 15 slices. A serrated bread knife worked best for me when slicing through the dough.
Carefully place the slices onto a baking sheet that has been lightly coated with a non-stick spray. Lightly brush pinwheel tops with the remaining egg wash.
Bake 14 to 18 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature. I find puff pastry dough can burn easily so keep an eye on them!
