Spinach and Artichoke Puff Pastry Swirls (Pinwheels)
The ultimate appetizer for any occasion, these Spinach and Artichoke Puff Pastry Swirls (or Pinwheels) are perfect. They encompass the beloved flavors of spinach and artichoke dip in a refined, delicate bite.
1(10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinachthawed and squeezed of extra water
1(14-ounce) can artichoke heartsdrained, squeezed of extra liquid, and roughly chopped (about 1 ½ cups / 10 small or 5 large artichoke hearts)
5ounces(about 1 ½ cups) grated Gruyère, Comte, or Emmentaler cheese
¼cupgrated Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino Romano cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1(17.3 to 18.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastrythawed (the size will depend on the brand)
1large egg
Instructions
Heat oven to 400ºF. Line 2 to 3 baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside. The number of baking sheets will depend on the brand of puff pastry (it's size) and your resulting yield.
Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and chili flakes. Cook until softened and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from pan, transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside to cool.
Add the spinach and artichokes to the mixing bowl. Stir in Gruyère and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Unfold or unroll one of the two puff pastry sheets on lightly floured surface. Lightly flour both sides of the pastry if it seems wet or sticky at all. If the pastry is folded, make sure the seams are running vertically and the “ugly” side is facing you. The long side of the pastry should be at the top and bottom of your work surface, with the shorter sides on the left and right. Top with half the vegetable-cheese mixture, leaving a ½-inch border.
In small bowl beat egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the furthest edge with a little egg wash. Starting at the end closest to you, roll up pastry, jelly-roll-style, sealing the roll with the egg wash edge. Roll neither tightly nor too loosely. You want enough looseness for the puff pastry inside the coil to have room to expand, but tight enough that the fillings don’t completely fall out when you transfer to baking sheets. Repeat with the other puff pastry sheet and the remaining filling. If the rolls seems soft, freeze them for about 10 to 15 minutes to firm up and allow for easier slicing.
Cut each roll into ½-to-¾-inch-thick slices, using the puff pastry’s seams to guide you, if they exist. Lay slices flat 2-inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Lightly brush with egg wash on the sides and top of each roll. You may want to you more of a dabbing motion so you don't dislodge any of the filling or get big drips of egg on your pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back partway through.
Depending on the resistance of your parchment paper brand these will either slide right off or stick a little in the middle where the cheese melts, but gently pry them free with a spatula with minimal effort. Serve warm or at room temperature. These are best the day they are made.
Video
Notes
If you’re in the United States these are several brand options for puff pastry. In general, all butter puff pastry is the way to go regardless of the brand or wherever in the world you are procuring puff pastry. I recommend Trader Joe's puff pastry, but it's only available seasonally (typically from November through December)
Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry (17.3 ounce package) is thicker but smaller dimensions so the yield is lower, but you will have larger spirals with thicker puff pastry throughout. Trader Joe's (18.3 ounce package) is a thinner puff pastry with slightly larger dimensions. It yields more dainty, super crispy morsels. You’ll get about 10 to 15 more pinwheels from this brand (about 40 to 43 versus 30 to 33).
To brush these swirls with egg wash I tend to blot/dab the egg wash with a pastry brush around the sides and over the top to ensure I don't get big drips of egg wash on my sheet pan or dislodge any of the filling.
These will be super crispy the day they are baked and soften significantly by day 2. They are still tasty but the texture won’t be the same.
You can assemble and roll the logs up to 1 day in advance. Place them side by side on a parchment paper covered sheet pan or large cafeteria tray, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Then when you are ready to bake, slice, arrange on baking sheets, brush with egg wash and bake as directed.
Note that these cheeses are typically made with animal rennet which means they aren't vegetarian. If you're vegetarian, make sure to use vegetarian versions of these cheeses.