BLUE CHEESE AND ROSEMARY PINWHEELS

Happy Weekend!

I’m invited to a friend’s house for dinner this weekend and I told the hostess I’d bring an hors d’oeuvre.  I don’t have a lot of time, so I’m going to make a good old standby recipe I have been whippin’ up for years: my Blue Cheese and Rosemary Pinwheels.  They are super easy to make.  They are super delicious. And, everyone loves them!  I guarantee you will be the Bell of the Ball if you make these for your next cocktail or dinner party.  Plus, they’ll make you look very sophisticated!

So, here’s all you have to do to make them.  First, preheat your oven to 400° F.

Then, get yourself a box of Frozen Puff Pastry Dough.  I use the Pepperidge Farm Brand because that’s what’s available at my local supermarket.  I always keep a box of puff pastry in my freezer for just such occasions, as they often come in real handy.  Pepperidge Farm sells puff pastry in a variety of forms, so be sure to buy the ready-to-bake sheets. Thaw out your puff pastry in the refrigerator, as you don’t want to let it get to room temperature.

There are two sheets of pastry in the box.  They come folded up like this.  If you are feeding a crowd, you can double this recipe and use both sheets of pastry. They are so delicious that I recommend doing this.  You will not be sorry you did, as these fly off the plate!

Open up your thawed sheet of puff pastry and place it on a large, flat surface. You should not have to flour the surface, as doing so would not be good for the outcome of this recipe.  You don’t want floury pinwheels!

Get out your rolling pin and start rolling.  Roll the dough in one direction and then the other, trying to keep the rectangular shape of the dough.  Roll the dough out as thin as you can.

Now, get yourself some blue cheese.  I find that the crumbled blue cheese works best, but you could crumble it yourself from a slice of blue cheese.  By the way, Roquefort cheese is even better if you prefer to use it.

Sprinkle about 5 ounces of crumbled cheese directly onto the pastry.  You can use more or less cheese, depending on your preference.

Now, go out into your kitchen garden and pick yourself some fresh Rosemary. I’m not kidding when I say this.  If you don’t have a kitchen garden you really should think about planting one.  Fresh herbs are hearty, grow in all climates, and most are perennial, meaning they grow year round.  Most of the herbs I grow in my kitchen garden survive the freezing winters of Lake Arrowhead.  I often cut fresh herbs right out of the snow.  Plus, fresh herbs are expensive to purchase in the supermarket, but are very inexpensive and easy to grow at home. They grow nicely in pots too.

You’ll need about 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary.  Wash the rosemary, pat it dry with a paper towel, pull the leaves off the stalk, and dice them up nice and small. You should end up with about 2 tablespoons of diced rosemary. Save an extra stalk to use for garnish later on.

Sprinkle the diced rosemary across the pastry dough.

Starting at the long end of the rectangle of puff pastry, carefully roll up the dough.  If it decides to stick a little to your surface, use a metal spatula to help it along.  Don’t tear the pastry, please.

Next, beat up an egg in a small bowl.  Add 1 teaspoon of water.  This is what’s known as an egg wash.  It will become the glue that will seal your pinwheel shut, and it will add color to your pinwheels.

Using a pastry brush, brush the tail end of the roll with the egg wash.

Now, carefully close up the roll, insuring that it is sealed shut.  Brush the outside of the roll with the egg wash. Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into about twelve, 1/2″ slices.

Now, prepare a large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan.  You can grease it or you can line it with one of these nifty silicone sheets.

Place the pinwheels on the pan and brush the top surface lightly with your egg wash.  Stick them in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Here they are, all hot and smelling delicious.  Go ahead, try one.  I know you can’t resist.  But be careful ’cause it’s tough to eat just one, and you want to have enough leftover for all your friends.

Arrange them on a pretty plate, garnish the plate with rosemary, and serve them warm with a nice glass of white wine.

I guarantee this will not be the last time you make these!  Keep the recipe real handy ’cause you’re going to be invited to lots more parties once you show up with these.

NOTE:  Get creative the next time you make them and switch up your ingredients.  You can make these with any variety of your favorite cheese or with whatever you have on hand.  You can also change the type of fresh herb used. For example:

• Parmesan & Oregano
• Havarti & Dill
• Goat Cheese & Thyme or Sage
• Mozzarella & Oregano
• Cream Cheese & Chives
• Cheddar & Garlic

Please leave a comment and let me know how quickly these disappeared at your party.

Adapted from a similar recipe found in the June 2006 issue of House Beautiful Magazine.

All opinions expressed in this post are my own.   All photos are the original property of Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com and may not be reproduced without specific permission.