Festive Christmas Pinwheels

Holiday parties aren’t holiday parties without lots and lots of party appetizers. Every get-together during the festive season is kicked off with loads of fun bites and delicious drinks. This recipe is a perfect addition to that Christmas spread. It not only looks festive, with the green, red, and white filling, but it tastes festive!  Cranberries and pistachios are quintessential flavors to me this time of year, and a cheesy pastry bite fits right in with the addictable bites you look for on a party tray.

These little pinwheels are flaky, nutty, herby, and cheesy with a few sweet, tart bites from the cranberries. It’s a bite that will keep you and your guests going back for more. 

Tips For Making This Pesto Puff Pastry Pinwhell Recipe

If you plan on making this christmas pinwheel appetizer, here are a few tips to make them extra delicious:

• The pistachio pesto will be on the thicker side when you make it and that’s ok!  The thicker consistency will help keep it in place in the pinwheels while it bakes. Otherwise, you may end up with all of your pesto on the tray, not in your pastry.
• The pastry and it’s filling is soft and easily squished when slicing it into pinwheels. To help combat this, use a really sharp knife and go slowly, using your second hand to help hold the remaining pastry in place.
• After slicing the pinwheels and transferring them to the baking tray, some of the fillings may fall out. If that happens, gently press a few of the missing pieces back into the pinwheel – no one will be the wiser.

Recipe Details

These pesto pinwheel puff pastries will definitely impress your guests, yet are relatively simple to make! If you’ve never made pesto, you’ll be surprised at how simple it is to pull together. Then after that, it’s just assemble, slice and bake!

To make the pistachio pesto, you’ll blend shelled pistachios, fresh basil leaves, and a few cloves of garlic in a food processor. After a minute or two, they will all blend together and result in a paste.  To finish it off, you’ll add lots of olive oil, parmesan cheese, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. You’ll pulse this in your food processor a few more times, until a thick sauce is created. Be sure to taste your pesto before you set it aside and add more salt or pepper if you think it needs it.

After making your pesto, you can assemble the pinwheels. First, you’ll lay out a thawed piece of puff pastry, then layer on the pistachio pesto, shredded mozzarella cheese, and dried cranberries. Roll the pastry tight to create the pinwheel design in the center and then brush the outside with melted butter. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese over the pastry and use your fingers to gently press it into the outside. 

Use a sharp knife to cut the pastry into slices and then arrange them onto a prepared baking tray.  Bake the pinwheel appetizers for 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the cheese is melty. Let the pinwheels cool on the tray for five minutes and then transfer to a serving tray to enjoy!

This recipe can be made ahead for party hosting!  Assemble the pinwheels and arrange them on a tray.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve them.  Once ready, bake at 375°F for 20 minutes and serve!

If you like the sound of this recipe, you should also check out these festive appetizers:

• Balsamic Pickled Fig, Prosciutto, and Goat Cheese Pizza
• Christmas Cranberry and Cream Cheese Cracker Spread
• Cheesy Artichoke Dip with Hot Honey Drizzle

Be sure to tag @laura.loves.to.cook on Instagram, Tik Tok, or Facebook to let me know how your recipes turn out. I hope you love it as much as I do!

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Christmas

Pistachio Pesto and Cranberry Puff Pastry Pinwheels

Author: Laura Wilkins Cooking Method: Baked Cuisine: American Courses: Appetizer

Difficulty: Intermediate Prep Time 25 mins Cook Time 20 mins Rest Time 5 mins Total Time 50 mins

Cooking Temp: 375  °F Servings: 16

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Description

A flaky pinwheel appetizer perfect for festive parties! The filling has a nutty, herby pistachio pesto, melty mozzarella, tart dried cranberries, and salt parmesan cheese. They’re a complex bite, but a simple recipe to pull together.

Ingredients

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

• 1 sheet of pre-made puff pastry
• ¹⁄₂ cup unsalted, shelled pistachios
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 3 cloves of garlic
• ¹⁄₂ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¹⁄₂ cup plus 2-3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded, low-moisture mozzarella cheese
• ¹⁄₂ cup dried cranberries
• 1 tbsp melted, unsalted butter

Instructions

Do Some Prep Work

1. Thaw the puff pastry according to the package directions.

2. Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper

Make Pistachio Pesto

1. In a food processor, add the shelled pistachios, basil leaves, and cloves of garlic. Pulse on high until the ingredients become paste-like.

2. Add the olive oil and parmesan cheese, and a small pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse again on high to incorporate the olive oil. This pesto will be a bit on the thicker side and not too runny.

3. Taste and adjust salt and pepper levels to your taste. Set aside to begin assembly.

Assemble and Bake

1. Place the thawed puff pastry on to a large cutting board.

2. Spread the pistachio pesto into a thin layer across the puff pastry, using about ½ - ⅔ of the prepared pesto (save the rest for a second batch of pinwheels).

3. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and the dried cranberries across the top of the pistachio pesto layer.

4. Tightly roll the puff pastry from the long end of the pastry sheet.

5. Brush the melted butter around the outside fo the rolled pastry. Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of parmesan cheese, using your hands to gently press it into the sides.

6. Use a sharp knife to slice the rolled pastry dough into 14-16 equal sized pinwheels, trying to not press too hard and squish the pastry.  Carefully arrange the pinwheels onto your prepared baking tray, leaving a bit of space between each one.

7. Bake the pinwheels at 375°F for 20 minutes, until the pastry is browned and the cheese is melty.

8. Let cool on the tray for 5 minutes and then transfer to a serving tray and enjoy!