I love puff pastry because you can make so many different things and the result will always be delicious and super flaky. I had a sheet leftover in my freezer from when I made pigs in a blanket so I decided to use it up. This time I went in a cheesy direction. I made cute little cream cheese and caramelized onion pinwheels. I figured this combination would work really well and the puff pastry was a great vehicle.

I had never made caramelized onions before but I found a recipe from Simply Recipes (link here) and they were super simple to make! They turned out incredible and they were so sweet! I made a big batch of them and kept them in the fridge (only for a few days). I’ve put them on pizza and on toast – so yummy – but a big portion of them went into these pinwheels.

The onions were mixed with softened (very important) cream cheese and some seasonings – salt, pepper, chili flakes and thyme – which made a rich and flavourful filling. Then you just have to spread that mixture all over the thawed puff pastry, roll it up, then slice* and bake.

These turned out so well. Each bite was packed with sweet onions and cream cheese with the hint of spice from the chili flakes. It was well-balanced in textures and flavours. These would be great as an appetizer for dinner or just as a snack on the weekend. With so few ingredients, they are perfect to make any time!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup caramelized onions
• 1 block cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 tsp each: salt, pepper, chili flakes, dried thyme
• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
2. In medium bowl, combine onions, cream cheese and all seasonings, until well blended.
3. Place puff pastry on clean surface and spread cream cheese mixture all over. Cut pastry in half lengthwise (if desired, see NOTE) or roll entire sheet tightly like a cinnamon roll.
4. Use sharp knife to cut into pinwheels and place on prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and visibly flaky. Serve hot or room temperature.

*NOTE: I cut my puff pastry in half lengthwise so that I could make twice the amount of pinwheels, but you could leave it whole and make larger ones if you prefer. Yield is ~12 large or 24 small.