Sausage Puff Pastry Pinwheels

These easy sausage pastry pinwheels are one of my favourite snacks as they can be assembled in minutes. Great for parties, ideal when you have last minute guests, and they're also great for picnics in the warmer months.

For ease I always use a store bought sheet of puff pastry, I confess I've never made my own puff pastry, not when you can buy really good quality pastry ready made. Then it's just a case of layering up a few ingredients that work together.

You can get as creative as you want with these pinwheels, swapping in other flavours and ingredients. Just take care not to overload the pastry or it won't roll up. I've made some suggestions for alternative flavours later in the post.

Recipe ingredients

• Pastry - for ease I always use a sheet of ready rolled puff pastry as you just need to roll it out, its the perfect size. If you are using a block of puff pastry, roll it out, but not too thin as you want it to hold shape when it's rolled. For gluten free diners you can use gluten free puff pastry.
• Chilli jam - I used my own homemade spicy chilli jam in this recipe.
• Sausage - I used regular pork sausages, but you can use any variety and flavour of sausage in this recipe.
• Cheese - I used vintage cheddar cheese in this recipe, it's got great strength of flavour and melts well.
• Seasoning - I seasoned the pinwheels with some freshly ground black pepper.

How to make sausage puff pastry pinwheels

• Line a large baking sheet with a silicone liner or baking parchment.
• Unroll the sheet of puff pastry leaving it on the greaseproof paper it comes rolled up in.
• Spread the chilli jam across the roll of puff pastry, covering most of the pastry and leaving just a small amount clear at one of the short ends of the sheet.
• Break up the sausages into small pieces and scatter over the chilli jam in an even layer. Take the grated cheese and scatter that evenly over the sausage. Season with black pepper.

• Brush some water onto the exposed piece of pastry at the short end. The water will help the pastry stick once rolled up.
• Starting at the other short end, carefully roll up the pastry. Don't press down too hard or the filling will spill out. When completely rolled up, stick the wet end of pastry to the roll.
• Now roll the pastry up in the greaseproof paper and place in the fridge to firm up for 30 minutes.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180CFan/200C/375F.
• After 30 minutes remove the pastry roll, discard the paper, and using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 12 even sized pieces. Place each piece flat on the lined baked sheet.

• Place the baking sheet into the hot oven and bake for 20 minutes.
• When baked remove from the oven and place each pinwheel onto a wire rack. Cool for 10 minutes to allow the pinwheels to set, before serving.

Recipe variations

• Pastry - I always use puff pastry when making pinwheels, filo is too thin and shortcrust is too crumbly. If you need to use gluten free, look for a roll of gluten free puff pastry.
• Sausage - I've used regular pork sausages, removing the skin and breaking down the sausage meat. However, you can use any variety or flavour of sausage meat.
• Meat - swap the sausage meat for some thinly sliced meats, try parma ham, prosciutto, salami or chorizo.
• Sauce - I've opted for a spicy chilli jam, but you could use a sweet chilli sauce, some tomato puree (paste), or even a layer of mustard.
• Cheese - I've used grated cheddar cheese, but feel free to use another grated cheese, parmesan or gruyere would be great options.
• Fresh herbs - add some fresh herbs to the pinwheel, try chives, oregano or thyme.
• Dry spices - you can add in extra flavour with dried herbs and spices, try smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, chilli powder, or crushed fennel seeds.

Serving suggestions

These puff pastry pinwheels are best enjoyed warm, straight from the oven. They make a great snack, or use them as a buffet style party snack.

I like to serve these pinwheels with a dipping sauce. I've opted for a chilli hot sauce here, but you could use a sweet chilli sauce, tomato ketchup of Dijon mustard.

Useful hints and tips

1. Get creative with the filling, try other flavours and ingredients, just avoid anything too liquid/watery as the pastry will become soggy.
2. Don't overfill the pastry, otherwise the pastry won't roll up properly and the filling will spill out. You want the spiral shape to hold when the roll of filled pastry is cut into slices.
3. For coeliacs or gluten free diners swap the regular puff pastry for a ready-made gluten free pastry.
4. Allergy advice: soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

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Additional recipe suggestions

If you like this recipe then try some of my other easy appetiser recipes:

• Spanish Chicken Chorizo Croquettes
• Potato & Cheese Croquettes
• Spiced Pork Bonbons
• Cocktail Sausages - 3 ways
• Baked Camembert with toppings
• Spiced Almonds
• Salt & Vinegar Nuts