Spinach Artichoke Pinwheels

Are you in for a treat with these spinach artichoke pinwheels!  You know that feeling when you try a new snack and after you sink your teeth into one the explosion of flavors has you raising your eyebrows in pleasant surprise?  Yeah, that’s what these little savory pastries are like.

On my last post, I shared my skillet artichoke, fresh spinach and bacon dip.  I was the only one home when I made it, so I knew I would have leftover dip.  And the truth is that even when I serve it for a group of people, there is usually at least a cup of it left.  Because it is a rather large amount of dip.  Well, about one year ago while we were still living in Kansas, I made this dip and had some leftover.  I decided to re-purpose it into something new, so I made these spinach artichoke pinwheels for the first time.  And a new favorite was born.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that when you marry a super delicious savory dip with flaky puff pastry you get a winner.

let’s make spinach artichoke pinwheels

I know that as an ingredient on its own, the leftover dip is not exactly visually appealing.  But don’t let its frumpy looks turn you off.  Because if you do, you will SO be missing out!

The leftover dip is a rustic one, meaning that the fresh spinach and artichoke hearts were coarsely chopped to give it a nice meaty tooth feel with each bite.  And that makes it perfect for these pinwheels as well.

I try to always keep one package of puff pastry in my freezer because you never know when people will show up and you need to whip up something quick but special.  They defrost so quickly, having one always on hand is an investment well made.  If you are not familiar with puff pastry, you can find it in the freezer section of your supermarket.  This is the one I use.  If I use only one of the two sheets in the package, as in this recipe, I place the remaining one in a freezer Ziploc bag and put it right back in the freezer.

As for Parmesan, we always have a wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano in the deli drawer of the fridge.  It’s great for cheese plates, charcuterie boards, and as a flavor component for many, many dishes.  So, keeping some on hand is always a good idea as well.

Unfold the puff pastry sheet and place it on a medium-floured work surface.  You don’t want too much flour going into the roll, but if you do not use enough, the puff pastry will stick to the cutting board when you stretch it with the rolling pin.

It is very common to find the fold creases to be very pronounced.  This can create weak spots on your sheet when you roll the pinwheels.

So before stretching the puff pastry, I use my fingers to pinch the two sides of the fold together to reinforce the dough.

Then I use a rolling pin to slightly stretch the dough to make it just a bit thinner.   Making it thinner helps the dough at the center of the roll to cook more evenly.

Then I spread the leftover spinach artichoke dip evenly all the way up to the edges.

I suggest softening the dip in the microwave on a low defrost setting before spreading.  The cheeses in the dip harden in the fridge so very lightly warming it makes it easier to spread.

Next, I roll the dough by the narrow end, making sure to keep the it fairly tight.

Then I cut it either with a very sharp knife, or a blade pizza cutter like the one pictured above.

Traditional pinwheels are usually cut a bit thinner than I cut these, which are about 1/2″ to 3/4″.  Since my dip filling has larger pieces of spinach and artichoke, I want enough pastry to hold it all together.  12 pinwheels from one roll of puff pastry is perfect.

Don’t worry if the individual pinwheels get a little misshapen.  You can always adjust them when you place them on the baking sheet.  They also tend to return to a round roll shape when they bake.

Place them a good inch apart on a large, parchment covered baking sheet.  Reshape them, if necessary, sprinkle with the grated Parmesan, and bake.

And about 15 minutes later you have these little beauties.

Your house smells like a French bistro.

And, your mouth is watering.

Great as a small bite with cocktails, as an hors d’oeuvre on a party table, or as an appetizer before dinner.

These were served at our Friday family night dinner.  Steve has had them before and loves them.  Matt and Sam were super impressed.  Matt bit into one, did the raised eyebrow thing, and said “ok, these are dope”.  And even my granddaughter Bella enjoyed one.

When it came time for everyone to leave, the boys split the leftovers between them to take home.  There was no way they were leaving any behind.

Which is fine with me.  I’m happiest when the ones I love take pleasure from one of my dishes.  It just makes my day.

Make these for someone you love, even if that someone is you!  I bet you’ll be glad you did!

Spinach Artichoke Pinwheels

Lori

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 18 mins

Total Time 23 mins

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

• 1 puff pastry sheet 10" X 15" X 1/8" thawed
• 1 cup leftover spinach artichoke dip from this recipe or your own favorite recipe, lightly warmed to soften for spreading
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• On a medium-floured surface, unfold the puff pastry sheet so that it lays flat. Use fingers to pinch the two sides of the creases together to reinforce the dough.
• Using a rolling pin, stretch the puff pastry by about 1/4 inch on all sides so make it slightly thinner.
• Spread the leftover spinach artichoke dip evenly over the entire sheet, going very close to the edges.
• Roll tightly from one short edge to create a smooth, even roll.
• Using a sharp knife or a blade pizza cutter, cut 12 pinwheels, about 1/2" to 3/4" wide.
• Place pinwheels flat on a parchment-covered baking sheet at least 1 inch apart as the pinwheels will puff up during baking. Reshape any as needed to make round again after cutting.
• Sprinkle a little grated Parmesan on top of each.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the puff pastry and the Parmesan topping are golden brown.
• Serve warm or cold.