Snail Pinwheel Recipes

SNAIL PINWHEEL

Steps:

• 1. If necessary, trim the rounded edges of the tortilla to make it square, then spread on a thin layer of the mayo or cream cheese.
• 2. Layer on the lettuce or baby spinach, then the meat and cheese, and roll it up tightly.
• 3. With the seam on the bottom, slice the tortilla into 2-inch-wide pinwheels. For the snail's heads, cut a pickle in half at an angle. Poke two small holes in the uncut ends and stick pieces of chive with knots at one end in each for antennae.
• 4. Slip each pickle half under the edge of a pinwheel, securing them together with a toothpick, if necessary. Makes 4 to 6 pinwheel sandwiches.

VEGGIE PINWHEEL APPETIZERS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and salad dressing until blended. Stir in the broccoli, carrot, onion and dill weed. Spread over tortillas. Roll up tightly; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Unwrap and cut each into eight slices.

CINNAMON-SOUR CREAM PINWHEELS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and sour cream. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until easy to handle., In a small bowl, mix walnuts, sugar and cinnamon. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough into a 12x9-in. rectangle. Brush with egg white; sprinkle each with half of the walnut mixture. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight., Preheat oven to 350 °. Unwrap and cut dough crosswise into 1/4-in. slices. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

PIZZA PUFF PINWHEELS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Unroll the pastry onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to 40 x 32cm. Spread a layer of pasta sauce over it, leaving a 1cm border around the edges. Arrange the ham evenly on top, then scatter the grated cheese over.
• Starting at one of the short ends, roll the pastry up as tightly as possible. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes or so.
• Take a very sharp knife and cut the roll into 12 equal slices, laying them flat on 2 non-stick baking trays as you go. Brush each pinwheel lightly with beaten egg and sprinkle over the herbs. Bake for 12-15 minutes until puffed and golden. Leave to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

DANISH PASTRY

Steps:

• Do ahead
• Prepare the laminated dough as directed on page 182, up to the point of shaping and baking, and roll out as you would for large croissants, into a rectangle measuring about 24 inches wide by 9 inches long and just under 1/4 inch thick.
• Shaping
• To make Schnecken, if you want to use cinnamon sugar, you'll need to apply an egg wash before cutting the dough. Whisk the egg and water together, then gently brush it over the surface of the dough. Separately, whisk the cinnamon into the sugar, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the surface of the dough.
• Use a straight edge, such as a sturdy ruler, to cut 1-inch-wide vertical strips, so that you end up with about 24 strips, 8 to 9 inches long (the dough will shrink slightly as you cut it). For large schnecken, use the entire strip; for a mini version, cut each strip in half to make two 4-inch strips. Lift each strip at both ends and twist in opposite directions to form the strip into a springlike coil, then lay the strip on the work surface and coil it in a circular fashion to make a snail shape. (For full-size Schnecken, you can also coil them from both ends to form either an S-shaped double snail or an eyeglass-shaped double snail, which allows you to fill the schnecken with two fillings.) Tuck the outer end of the coil underneath to close off the circle.
• Place the schnecken 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined sheet pan and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Proof at room temperature for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the dough has swelled noticeably.
• To make pinwheels, cut the dough into approximately 3-inch squares for large pinwheels, or 2 1/2-inch squares for smaller pinwheels. Working with one piece at a time, use a metal pastry scraper to cut a notch at each corner, cutting from the corner toward the center without connecting the cuts; leave an uncut center about 1/2 inch wide to serve as a platform for the filling. Take the same side of each corner and fold it over to the center, pressing it into the uncut platform. When all 4 corners are folded, use your thumb to press the ends into each other and seal them in the center of the pinwheel. Don't worry if they come apart during the proofing stage; you can press and seal them again before you add the filling.
• Place the pinwheels about 1/2 inch apart on a parchment-lined sheet pan and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Proof at room temperature for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the pieces have swelled noticeably.
• Baking and glazing
• About 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Fill the schnecken by using your thumb to make an indent in the center of each coil large and deep enough to hold about 1 heaping teaspoon of filling, then add whatever fillings you like. Fill the pinwheels by pressing the center with your thumb or finger to create a small pocket, and place about 1 teaspoon of whatever fillings you like into the pocket.
• For both Schnecken and pinwheels, make the fondant glaze while the oven preheats.
• Just before baking the Danish, prepare the hot glaze. Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring it to a boil; stir until the sugar is dissolved, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer while the Danish bake. If you like, stir in the apricot preserves, or squeeze the juice from the lemon into the saucepan, then add the entire lemon half.
• As the syrup is heating up, place the pan of Danish into the oven and lower the oven temperature to 400°F (204°C). Bake for 6 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 5 to 6 minutes, until a medium golden brown.
• As soon as the Danish come out of the oven, brush the hot syrup over them, including over the filling. Let the Danish cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, then drizzle streaks of the fondant glaze over them. Let the glaze set up for about 3 to 5 minutes, then enjoy!
• Filling Options: Cream Cheese Filling
• Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and cream them together until smooth and slightly fluffy. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and gradually increase the speed of the mixer to high. If mixing this filling by hand, use a large, sturdy spoon and be prepared to stir vigorously. The filling should be thick, creamy, and custardlike; it will firm up when baked.
• Fruit Filling
• If using diced apples or pears, poach them in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain. Whisk the water, sugar, salt, and cornstarch together in a saucepan to make a slurry, then bring it to a boil over a medium heat, stirring constantly. It should thicken by the time it comes to a boil. Remove it from the heat immediately, then stir in the fruit. Some fruits will leach moisture into the slurry, so stir the filling a few times as it cools.
• Lemon Curd
• Whisk the lemon juice, sugar, and eggs together in a double boiler over simmering water, then stir continuously until the mixture begins to thicken; this could take 10 to 15 minutes.
• As soon as the mixture thickens, add the butter and stir until it melts. Remove the lemon curd from the heat and continue to stir until the butter is fully incorporated. If it's lumpy, push it through a fine-mesh sieve to smooth it out. Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and set it aside to cool.
• Variation
• If you want richer, softer Danish dough, when making the détrempe, replace 6 tablespoons (3 oz / 85 g) of the water with 2 eggs (3.5 oz / 99 g).