Whether for an elegant holiday dinner party or a casual post-Christmas meal with friends, if you want to entertain a crowd without a lot of work and get oohs and aahs in the process, serve these tasty appetizers.–Sara Perry

A grey plate filled with stilton pinwheels with walnuts and honey on a yellow cloth.

Stilton Pinwheels with Walnuts and Honey

5 / 2 votes
These stilton pinwheels with walnuts and honey are easy, elegant cocktail appetizers made with puff pastry, cream cheese, stilton, and walnuts.
David Leite
CourseAppetizers
CuisineBritish
Servings72 servings
Calories45 kcal
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time2 hours

Ingredients 

  • 1/3 cup Stilton or other blue cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
  • All-purpose flour, for the work surface
  • 1 sheet purchased frozen puff pastry, thawed
  • 2 cups walnut halves
  • Honey, for drizzling

Instructions 

  • In a mini-processor or by hand, mix the blue cheese and cream cheese until blended.
  • On a lightly floured work surface, unfold the pastry according to the package directions. Cut it in half lengthwise.
  • Carefully spread half of the cheese mixture over the pastry leaving a 1/4-inch border on 1 long edge. Beginning with the long coated edge, tightly roll the pastry, forming a long jelly roll-style log. Moisten the uncoated border with water and pinch the edge to form a secure seam. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour or until ready to bake. Repeat with the remaining piece of pastry and cheese mixture.
  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or leave it unbuttered.
  • Remove 1 log at a time from the freezer and unwrap it on a cutting board. Thaw slightly.
  • Measure and mark 1/4-inch increments and slice with a serrated knife. Arrange the pinwheels on the baking sheet, at least 1 inch apart. Gently press 1 walnut half into the center of each pinwheel. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and, using a teaspoon or squeeze bottle, drizzle with a crisscross thread of honey. Serve immediately.
Holiday Baking by Sara Perry

Adapted From

Holiday Baking

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 pinwheelCalories: 45 kcalCarbohydrates: 2 gProtein: 1 gFat: 4 gSaturated Fat: 1 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2 gMonounsaturated Fat: 1 gCholesterol: 1 mgSodium: 20 mgPotassium: 19 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 1 gVitamin A: 16 IUVitamin C: 1 mgCalcium: 8 mgIron: 1 mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2005 Sara Perry. Photo © 2005 Leigh Beisch. All rights reserved.

Recipe Testers’ Reviews

This is fast, easy, and delicious, and I’ll definitely make it again in large batches to freeze for last-minute guests. The blue cheese, walnut, and honey just sing in your mouth. The only change I’d make to the actual instructions for these delectable, sharp, and sweetly balanced nibbles is to cut the pastry on the diagonal, as opposed to coins, to make the hors d’oeuvres a little larger and more appealing. And the idea of this quick puff pastry treat really does get your creative juices flowing: maybe use marscapone instead of cream cheese with the blue cheese, or goat cheese and sun-dried tomato or pesto sauce, orange infused cream cheese with a pecan on top, etc.

These stilton pinwheels were delicious and easy to make. This is the type of recipe that can be made ahead of time and kept in the freezer until needed. I put together the recipe but only baked 1 roll and they were consumed almost immediately. Now I have the 2nd roll available for weekend guests.

The instructions for filling and rolling the pinwheels are accurate. Be sure the cheese is at room temperature so that it spreads easily.

I really like the flavor and look of this appetizer. The walnut on top are great. There’s plenty for a party. I really like that you could make these ahead and leave them in the freezer to use at the last minute.

I would increase the temperature to 425°F and make sure it has a little more golden color than the photo. The flavor will come out more with more browning to a deeper color. I would use this higher temperature, turn the sheet halfway to check color, use the timing listed as a rough guide (10 to 12 minutes) and add more time if needed.

Oh man, these were delish! We had some as soon as they were cool enough to eat with a little white Port. A very nice pairing for an elegant snack. This recipe comes together very easily and I can see keeping a log in the freezer for an easy cocktail party dish.

The recipe calls for pastry sheets to be cut in half lengthwise. The sheets I used (the most common ones available, Pepperidge Farm) seemed a bit too small after being cut lengthwise, so I used a full sheet for the next batch (about 10 to 11 inches) and that made a nice size roll. The addition of honey at the end just puts this right over the moon.

Easy and very yummy. The addition of honey at the end just puts this right over the moon.




About David Leite

David Leite has received three James Beard Awards for his writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


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4 Comments

  1. Would pecans be as good as the walnuts? I have a friend who would love these but is allergic to walnuts. Thoughts?
    Thanks.