On most Sundays around our house, there is no place to be except home. Sometimes, I will cook up a storm and we have dinner in the dining room with the nice china. Other times, I don’t cook because we end up with leftovers from the week or we don’t get as hungry. On these Sundays, the grownups have wine and cheese. I may make something like Sun-Dried Tomato Pinwheels to add to the kid’s snacking options. Even my picky eater who does not like tomatoes will eat these! The sun-dried tomatoes add lots of flavor and a bit of sweetness to a flaky dough. There’s lots of texture and the pinwheel shape makes it fun to eat. I enjoy them with a glass of cabernet or pinot noir, while the kids enjoy them with their own cheese and crackers.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes Pinwheels
1 jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 tablespoon garlic
1 teaspoon Fresh Thyme
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt
Ground black pepper
1 box puff pastry
1/3 cup pesto
1 Eggs
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Drain the sun-dried tomatoes in a sieve over a small skillet, letting the oil collect in the skillet. Roughly chop the tomatoes and reserve them in a small bowl. Heat the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden brown, about 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Add the thyme and let it crackle in the oil for about 10 seconds. Add the balsamic vinegar and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Pour the warm oil over the reserved tomatoes. Stir to combine the ingredients well.
3. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 1 sheet of puff pastry on each baking sheet. Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 9 individual squares, each about 3 by 3 inches. For each square, use a paring knife to cut from each corner toward the center, stopping 1-inch from the center. You will have a 1-inch circle in the center of each square, and all the corners will be cut in half. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of pesto in the center of each square and spread it into a 1-inch circle. For each square, lift one half of a corner and fold it toward the center of the square, gently pushing the point into the pesto. Continuing around the square, fold 3 more corner halves toward the center of the square, and gently press all 4 tips together to form a pinwheel shape. Draining away most of the oil, place about 1 teaspoon of the tomatoes where the tips meet. Brush the dough with the beaten egg. Bake at 350 degrees F until the dough is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.
