Monte Cristo Pinwheels with Puff Pastry
You'll love this easy party appetizer! Perfect for holiday gatherings or as a brunch side dish. Puff pastry is topped with mustard, thyme, ham, and cheese slices, then, rolled, sliced, and baked until golden brown. Then, they are sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with your favorite preserves!
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*Easily adjust serving size to your liking by clicking the number under servings or with the boxes below in the ingredients section.
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Rolling Pin
- Silpat or parchment paper, for lining the baking sheet
- Parchment Paper for rolling out pastry dough
Ingredients
- 1 sheet Puff Pastry Sheet all butter if possible or whatever you can find
- ¼ pound Deli Sliced Ham I used black forest, or Canadian bacon
- ¼ pound Swiss Cheese sliced or Gruyere
- ¼ pound Provolone Cheese sliced or mozzarella
- 1 tablespoon Honey optional * see note in instruction 2
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard like Grey Poupon
- ½ teaspoon Thyme dried, or 1 tablespoon fresh
- 1 egg Egg beaten
- Powdered Sugar to taste, for serving
- Jam for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F
- Prep the pastry: Lay a sheet of puff pastry dough on parchment paper and gently roll out the pastry using a rolling pin so it's a flat rectangular shape(not too much). Brush a thin layer of Dijon mustard on the puff pastry and sprinkle with the thyme. (You can drizzle a tablespoon of honey over the mustard if you prefer a sweeter pinwheel. Be careful doing this the honey can cause the bottom of the pinwheel to burn.)
- Add the ham and cheese: In a single layer, add the ham. Then add the cheese slices of Swiss cheese on top of the ham.
- Roll it up: Roll the pastry up on the long side of the dough. Go slow here, start on one side and roll a little at a time, moving down the long side of the pastry.
- Cut into pieces: Once a long log shape has formed, using a sharp knife, cut it in half, then, cut those halves in half to make four pieces, then cut those pieces in half to form 8ths and those 8ths in half to make 16 pieces.
- Bake the pinwheels: Transfer the raw pinwheels to a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with beaten egg wash, transfer to the preheated oven, and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden perfection.
- Garnish and serve: Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar, fresh thyme (if desired), and your favorite jam on the side.
Notes
Tips and Tricks:
- Roll the pastry out on parchment paper. I find it's easier to roll the pastry dough when it's on parchment paper. I've tried rolling on cutting boards and marble slabs, and the pastry tends to stick a little. When using parchment paper is very easy to roll it up, without any sticking.
- Use good an all butter puff pastry. You can use whatever puff pastry you can find, but I do think an all butter pastry tastes much better for this easy appetizer recipe.
- Work with cold puff pastry. It's easier to roll up the pastry when the dough is cold. If the pastry starts to get too warm during thawing, pop it back in the fridge for a bit. This keeps it manageable for rolling and shaping.
- Use pre-sliced ham and cheese. I've tried grating cheese for this recipe and it's only ok. I find using pre-sliced cheese works best and makes the prep quick and easy.
Defrosting puff pastry:
Refrigerator: (overnight)-
- Time: 6-8 hours or overnight.
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- Place the frozen puff pastry in the refrigerator. This slow thawing helps maintain its texture and ensures it stays cold.
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- Time: 30-60 minutes.
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- If you need it faster, you can leave the wrapped puff pastry on the counter. Just make sure to keep it wrapped to prevent it from drying out. Check it frequently to avoid it getting too warm.
Nutrition
Serving: 2piecesCalories: 353kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 17gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 438mgPotassium: 134mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.4gVitamin A: 414IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 256mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!