Creamy Spinach & Cheese Pinwheels

Buttery, flaky, creamy, savory rounds of puff pastry, spinach, and cheese… That’s what I’ve made for you this week, and my family and friends couldn’t be happier, because the recipe makes about 25 pinwheels and I can’t eat them all myself (although it’s tempting).  These little spinach & cheese pinwheels are stunningly easy to make, yet so tasty that they elicited this response from my mom, “These are too good. Shame on you.”  Baking season is almost here and holiday gatherings aren’t far away.  It’s usually a busy season for us all, but you can still wow your guests with a “shamefully” delicious appetizer without spending a lot of time doing it.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• A pastry or basting brush
• 1 egg
• 1 T. water
• 1 box (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions or in the refrigerator overnight.
• 10 oz. frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained very well (I used cheesecloth to squeeze out all the water I could).
• 8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• ¼ t. onion powder
• ¼ t. garlic powder
• Pinch of black pepper

First,  preheat the oven to 400 and line two cookie-sheets with parchment or silicone liners.  In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water and set aside.

Next, in a medium bowl (or stand mixer), stir together the cream cheese, Monterey Jack, garlic and onion powders, and pepper.  Then mix in the spinach.  If it feels too stiff (you’ll be spreading it on the puff pastry), put it in the microwave for 30 seconds or stir over a double-boiler until manageable.

Lightly flour your countertop and unfold the pastry sheets onto the floured surface.  Brush each sheet with the egg/water mixture.  Then, evenly divide the spinach mixture between the two sheets and spread with a spatula, or your fingers, into an even layer, leaving just a bit of space at the edges.

Roll up each sheet into a log, placing the seam at the bottom, touching the counter to help hold it together as you cut.  With a nice, sharp knife, slice each log into about ½-inch rounds.  Place the pinwheels about 1-2 inches apart on your prepared cookie sheets and lightly brush the tops with the egg/water mixture.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until nicely golden.  Serve warm or room temperature.