Description
Delightful Strawberry and Cream Cheese Pinwheels featuring a tender homemade pastry filled with a smooth, sweet pink marscapone and fresh strawberry mixture. These bite-sized treats are perfect for brunch, tea time, or a light dessert, offering a beautiful balance of creamy, fruity, and buttery flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry
- 280 g (2 cups) plain flour
- 100 g butter
- 2-4 tablespoons water
Filling
- 250 g Marscapone cheese
- 2 tbsp natural yogurt
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 200 g strawberries (divided: half mashed, half chopped)
- 1 tsp icing sugar
For Cooking
- Egg wash (beaten egg)
To Serve
- Fresh mint leaves
- Extra strawberries
- Light sprinkle of icing sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 200ºC (392ºF) to prepare for baking the pinwheels.
- Make Pastry Dough: In a mixing bowl, combine the plain flour and butter. Rub them together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Gradually add water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing until it forms a dough.
- Roll and Chill Pastry: Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead gently. Roll it out thinly, wrap in parchment paper, and refrigerate until ready to use, allowing the dough to rest and firm up.
- Prepare Filling Mixture: In a bowl, add marscapone cheese, natural yogurt, maple syrup, lemon zest, and half of the strawberries. Break apart the strawberries by mashing them, then use an electric whisk to beat the mixture until it becomes a smooth, lovely pink color.
- Add Chopped Strawberries: Chop the remaining strawberries and fold them into the cheese mixture along with the icing sugar. Place the filling in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill and thicken slightly.
- Assemble Pinwheels: Remove the pastry and filling from the fridge. Spread the filling evenly over the pastry and carefully roll it up into a log shape. Slice the log into individual pinwheels and place each slice into a lightly buttered muffin tin.
- Apply Egg Wash and Bake: Brush the pinwheels with egg wash to promote browning. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the pinwheels to cool completely before removing them from the tin. Serve cool, garnished with extra strawberries, fresh mint leaves, and a light sprinkle of icing sugar if desired.
Notes
- Use cold butter to achieve a flaky, tender pastry texture.
- Adjust water quantity as needed to bring the dough together without making it sticky.
- Egg wash helps create a beautiful golden finish on the pinwheels.
- Ensure the filling is chilled before spreading to prevent the pastry from becoming soggy.
- These pinwheels are best served fresh but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
