A Puff Pastry Appetizer That Will Impress Guests But Is Too Easy Not To Try

The golden unspoken rule of hosting any kind of gathering is to never make anything that stresses you out. Nobody wants to frantically rummage through the kitchen, trying to balance multiple steps to make a complicated appetizer while your guests are only 30 minutes away. You want no-fuss dishes that still impress, restaurant-worthy creations that can be put together with no hassle. Tasting Table's very own cream cheese and prosciutto pinwheels recipe checks every one of those boxes, and it's just the kind of crowd-pleaser that belongs anywhere you put them.

What better way to kick things off than with a plate of crispy pastries, shattering with the most satisfying brittle? It only gets better once you sink your teeth into its buttery goodness, enveloping the tangy cream cheese that's melted into every flaky crevice. In the center is the prosciutto, anchoring every pinwheel with its salty, smoky edge. Whether you need conversation starters, ice-breakers, or just edible delights that keep the guests entertained, these palm-sized spirals have got it covered.

The simplicity of this recipe (and many other puff pastry recipes) boils down to the straightforward main ingredient. Puff pastry sheets set an effortless base that only requires thawing before they're joined by layers of cream cheese, prosciutto, mustard, chopped thyme, and grated cheese. Roll the dough, seal it with an egg wash, and slice it into pinwheels. Into the oven they go, and you will have golden-brown, flavor-packed appetizer pastries in 20 minutes.

Our prosciutto pinwheel recipe leaves plenty of room for exploring creative potential and shifting the taste profile to match different occasions. Sausage, for example, gives your pinwheels the perfect savory richness to adorn brunches and game days, or perhaps even a quick breakfast for the whole family. Throw in herbs like oregano, thyme, basil, or rosemary, and you've got a fragrant undertone good enough to stun the dining table.

Considering prosciutto's Italian roots, it makes perfect sense to pair it with more of the cuisine's staples. Sun-dried tomatoes and pesto or marinara sauce and arugula are both great for summer get-togethers, especially if you want to stray from the usual cookout classics. Here at Tasting Table, we approach the Italian twist in a more nuanced way, with giardiniera (Italian pickled vegetables) to deliver tangy notes, complementing a variety of cold meat — as seen in our puffed pastry muffuletta pinwheels recipe.

Sweetness, unlikely as it may sound given the prosciutto's salty nature, is also a flavor you can explore. Fruit jam is a no-brainer, especially when the temperature drops and you're itching to embrace the seasonal flavors. Spoonfuls of fig jam, deeply sweet and rich, strike a gorgeous depth that feel so quintessentially fall. Conversely, summer can sneak its way in through apricot or peach jam. Lingering both in the sweet and spicy realms is pepper jelly. Typically paired with cream cheese, it's just the seamless addition you need for pinwheels that taste memorable.