You guys! Can you believe we’re just a couple of days away from the New Year? When did this even happen? I’m all over here thinking we’ve still got a good week or so left and then the weekend came and poof we’re down to the last few speckles of 2014. How was your Christmas? I hope it was extra fabulous this year. The end of the year is both a little sad and a little exciting for me. I have such mixed feelings for the New Year! But there is one thing I’m definitely looking forward to in the new year. And it’s munching on these puff pastry pinwheels. These appetizers are such a treat! Buttery puff pastry rolled up like palmiers with goat cheese and chunks of apple cinnamon. They’re both slightly sweet and savory. I find sweet + savory things are the most addicting. Don’t you? You want to use a good quality of chèvre for this recipe. The creamy, tangy, savory goat cheese is the perfect pairing with apples that are cooked with a hint of brown sugar and cinnamon spice. This appetizer is inspired from the apple cinnamon goat cheese logs at Trader Joe’s. Have you tried it? They usually come around the first week of October and are gone in .35 seconds. Seriously. I went back for a second log a week later and they had already sold out. pouty face. I usually indulge overindulge in apple cinnamon goat cheese with those pumpkin crackers they have. Ooof. OH. Now i’m craving some (even though it’s breakfast time). The first step is to cook the cinnamon apple filling for these puff pastry pinwheels. I used fuji apples for this recipe but pink lady or even granny smith would work well. Dice the apples up nice and fine so that you get a little apple chunk in every bite. Cook it down with the brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon for a few minutes until the apples just start to get tender. You want to let the mixture cool completely before assembly the puff pastry appetizers. It gives these guys time to soak up all the brown sugary goodness. Make sure your goat cheese is at room temperature before starting. I let mine sit out for a good 3-4 hours before preparing the recipe. Brush a thin layer of butter on to your puff pastry sheet then spread the goat cheese on top. It takes a little bit of time and patience for this step. If it’s just not your thing, crumble the goat cheese into a fine crumble and sprinkle it on top. I want a bit of goat cheese in every bite so I like to spread it on. Sprinkle with half of your cinnamon sugar mixture. Disperse the apple mixture on top and start rolling from one of the longest ends to the other. Roll it nice and tight. Brush with the remaining tablespoon of butter and then sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon sugar powder. Wrap the log it wax paper or parchment paper and allow it to cool for 10 minutes in the refrigerator. Cut the log into pieces and bake them in the oven for 13-16 minutes or until the puff pastry turns golden. Let it cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire baking rack. Be gentle with them when they’re warm. You’re going to LOVE the first bite of these. Buttery puff pastry, creamy goat cheese, and sweet cinnamon apple. Has a better appetizer than these puff pastry pinwheels ever been invented? I think NOT. If you’re hosting a New Years Eve party this year, you absolutely have to make these appetizers for your party. You are definitely going to be praised more than once for servings up these little goodies.
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Instead of leaving in the refrigerator for just 10 minutes, these can be made up to 8 hours in advance. Allow the puff pastry to come to room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing and baking.
