Description
Delightful Strawberry and Cream Cheese Pinwheels featuring a buttery homemade pastry filled with a smooth and tangy mascarpone and strawberry mixture, baked to golden perfection. Perfect as a sweet treat for brunch, afternoon tea, or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry
- 280 g (2 cups) plain flour
- 100 g butter
- 2-4 tablespoons water
Filling
- 250 g mascarpone cheese
- 2 tbsp natural yogurt
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 200 g strawberries (divided, half for mushing, half chopped)
- 1 tsp icing sugar
Other
- Egg wash (for brushing)
- Fresh mint leaves (to serve)
- Extra strawberries (to serve)
- Light sprinkle of icing sugar (to serve)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 200ºC (392ºF) to prepare for baking the pinwheels.
- Make Pastry Dough: In a mixing bowl, combine the plain flour and butter. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Gradually add 2 to 4 tablespoons of water, mixing until the dough comes together into a ball.
- Knead and Chill Dough: Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead it gently. Roll it out thinly, then wrap in parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use to allow it to chill and firm up.
- Prepare Filling Mixture: In a separate bowl, add mascarpone cheese, natural yogurt, maple syrup, lemon zest, and half of the strawberries. Break up the strawberries by mashing them, then use an electric whisk to beat the mixture until it turns a smooth, lovely pink color.
- Fold in Chopped Strawberries: Chop the remaining strawberries finely and fold them into the whipped cheese mixture along with the icing sugar. Refrigerate this filling for 15 minutes to let the flavors meld and thicken slightly.
- Assemble Pinwheels: Remove both the pastry and filling from the fridge. Spread the filling evenly over the chilled pastry, then carefully roll the pastry into a log shape. Slice the log into individual pinwheels and place each slice into a lightly buttered muffin tin. Brush the tops with egg wash to promote golden browning while baking.
- Bake: Bake the pinwheels in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown and cooked through.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the pinwheels to cool completely in the muffin tin before removing. Serve chilled or at room temperature, garnished with fresh strawberries, mint leaves, and a slight dusting of icing sugar if desired.
Notes
- Ensure the butter is cold when making the pastry to achieve a flaky texture.
- Adjust the amount of water in the dough gradually to avoid it becoming too sticky.
- You can substitute mascarpone with cream cheese if unavailable, but mascarpone gives a richer flavor.
- For best results, use fresh ripe strawberries for sweetness and juiciness.
- Egg wash can be made by beating one egg with a tablespoon of water or milk.
- The pinwheels are best eaten the same day but can be refrigerated and served chilled.
