Photo by Heidi Harris
A stack of Prosciutto Pinwheels presented in a wine glass awaits guests
These bite-sized Prosciutto Pinwheels are swirled with the iconic tastes of Italy. Flaky puff pastry layered salty prosciutto, sharp Parmesan, the delicate crunch of pine nuts, and the brightness of fresh thyme get rolled up into a wonderful party nibble. They make perfect finger food to prepare as an hors d’oeuvre or serve alongside a crisp, tender salad.
The roll can be made in advance and frozen until ready to use at your next party.
Makes 40 pinwheels
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
- 4 ounces Prosciutto di Parma
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
- 1 large egg plus 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash
Directions
1 | Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2 | Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and set them aside.
3 | Lightly flour your surface and unfold 1 sheet of cold puff pastry. Roll out the dough to an 8″ x 11″ rectangle.
4 | Egg wash the top of the dough and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese in an even layer over the entire dough. Rough chop the pine nuts and scatter them evenly. Sprinkle on the thyme. Lay the prosciutto flat along the entire surface, leaving a ½″ edge on one of the 11″ sides.
5 | Starting at the opposite end of the 11″ side, tightly roll the dough until you reach the ½″ edge. Give it an egg wash and continue to roll the dough to seal it.
6 | Egg wash the entire log and place it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to stiffen. See tip below if making ahead of time.
7 | Using a serrated knife, slice the entire log into ¼″ slices.
8 | Lay each round flat onto the parchment of your baking sheet, leaving a 2″ space between each one.
9 | Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before transferring to a serving platter.
Make-Ahead Tip: If you are making the Prosciutto Pinwheels ahead of time, following step 6, wrap the log tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. When ready to serve, remove the log from the freezer and slice while still the dough is still frozen but slightly thawed. Place the slices on the parchment covered baking sheets to thaw before baking.
See Joseph’s tips for making amuse bouches and four more delicious amuse bouche recipes.
By Joseph Marini
Photography by Heidi Harris
Excerpted from Mastering the Art of Entertaining (SparkPress, 2023).
“I’m often asked why I love entertaining so much. It took me a long time to understand the answer to this. Fitting in, even sometimes within a family, can be difficult. By entertaining, I was allowing myself to be vulnerable enough to be seen for who I was. It allowed me to create a group of family and friends that would truly see and appreciate my authenticity. I now realize the rewards of living intentionally and opening up m home (and heart) to bring people together over food.”
Buy the book and enjoy more recipes and entertaining tips!
