If You Have Puff Pastry And 2 Sweet Condiments, You Can Make An Upgraded Twist On A Childhood Classic

Puff pastry is a delicate, flakey crust that can provide an elegant crunch to all kinds of recipes, from danishes and croissants to savory tarts and pies. But puff pastry's versatility extends far beyond the classics — you can also use it to make an upgraded twist on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. A PB&J sandwich is one of the most beloved comfort foods that bring nostalgia, and swapping the soft white bread with puff pastry turns it into a crisp, flakey pinwheel that's arguably more fun to eat. 

To make PB&J pinwheels, you'll need to use a full sheet of puff pastry and lay that out over a flat surface. Take an ice cream scoop and dole out a few dollops of peanut butter over one half of the pastry sheet, and an equal number of jelly scoops on the other half. You'll want to spread the scoops into an even layer with a spatula in their respective sections, then fold the sheet over so that the peanut butter and jelly parts sit snuggly over each other. Now here's the trick to create that pinwheel shape: Use a pizza cutter to cut the pastry sheet into 1 or 1.5 inch thick strips. Take each strip by either end to twist and coil them into pinwheels.

You can brush the pastries with egg wash before baking to give each pinwheel a crispy and shiny finish if you like. If you don't have an egg, you can also use milk or butter. The pinwheels only need about 20 or so minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit to bake through, and once they've cooled, you can sprinkle powdered sugar on top for a final touch.

Since these pinwheels are a simple three-ingredient recipe, you want to ensure that the ingredients are high quality. To that effect, we have a ranking of popular store-bought puff pastry brands for you to explore so that you'll achieve the crispiest, flakiest texture to contrast the creamy peanut butter and gooey jelly. You can also use all-natural peanut butter for a more savory, salty filling to contrast the sweet jelly. Jelly comes in many different fruity flavors, and they're all great for this puff pastry pinwheel. Of course, you can always swap the jelly with marshmallow cream for an upgraded twist on a fluffernutter sandwich, yet another classic childhood comfort food recipe. A simple powdered sugar garnish is both visually appealing and tastes great, but you can switch it up with granulated sugar and cinnamon instead. A drizzle of powdered sugar glaze containing vanilla extract and milk will also bring more depth.

These PB&J pinwheels would make great snacks for kids, but the puff pastry really adds a depth of texture and an elegant structure that brings them into the adult appetizer realm. You can serve them at your next brunch party alongside mimosas and bloody marys. You can also turn them into finger-food desserts at your next spread to enjoy with coffee or an after-dinner drink; for that matter, you could pair them with cocktails inspired by the same nostalgic childhood flavor, like this two-ingredient peanut butter whiskey and jelly syrup cocktail.