Prosciutto Pinwheels

It is the season of comfort food. A season I cherish, well, I cherish every season I think because I live in Wisconsin, the state that has the joy of experiencing each season. Now we have hit the winter season. It is a time where many of us Wisconsinites hunker down and hibernate. Don’t get me wrong, we have as much fun as the rest, snowboarding, skiing, sledding, and ice skating. We make the most of it. To me, however, the winter season is packed with great comfort food, including the latest addition to the family of comfort food, the pinwheel.

As we near closer to the Christmas holiday, I wanted to come up with a family friendly appetizer, something that everyone could enjoy, and maybe even talk about. I made a ham and Wisconsin cheese curd, a Johnsonville Italian sausage and red chili flake, and my favorite, a prosciutto pinwheel.

If you are not familiar with a pinwheel, it is basically something that is filled, rolled up, and sliced into delicious bites of goodness. You should know, I love making pinwheels, as seen here and here. Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

• 2 sheets of puff pastry, thawed
• 4 oz thinly sliced prosciutto
• 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp chili flakes, optional
• 1/2 cup, roasted red bell pepper slivers

Begin by getting two baking sheets out, and either lightly butter, or use cooking spray to lightly coat each sheet.

Carefully unroll each puff pastry, I use Pepperidge Farm, onto a lightly floured cutting board, or whatever space you have available. Lay the sheet so the more vertical side is facing you, and slice in half. Take the longer side, facing you, and brush the beaten egg on the top inch or so of the pastry dough.

Begin layering about 4 slices of the prosciutto down the dough. Top with slices of the roasted bell pepper, season with a pinch of the chili flakes, and add some of the cheese to the top.

Roll into a log, and seal the edges by lightly pinching, and place seal side down onto the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, or come up with your own creation (that is the fun part, right?).

Preheat your oven to 415 degrees.

Let the dough firm up a bit in the freezer for about 8 minutes. Remove, and slice them into about 2 inch slices. Place them, about an inch apart, back onto the baking sheet, and place them in the preheated oven, and cook until you have a light, golden brown. Cook for about 20 minutes, then remove and let cool.

Remove these from the baking sheet, and plate. Trust me, these will not last long, so you might want to quadruple the recipe! The light, flaky dough, and the perfect balance of smoky ham flavor from the prosciutto, the perfect bite from the chili flake, and the sweetness from the roasted bell peppers, keeps you coming back for more. This is comfort. This is a winter appetizer in Wisconsin, and heck, perfect for any state looking for a bit of comfort. Enjoy, and happy holidays.