Wild Mushroom Pinwheels | Friday Night Bites

It seems like we were just celebrating New Years Eve with appetizers and bubbly.  With February around the corner, this year is already sailing by.  I live by each day and believe that we need to enjoy each day to the fullest.  I enjoy the simple things, the people that I love around me and having a sense of purpose each day.  One of my resolutions for 2018 was to dedicate more attention to my blog that I have nurtured over the years.

With the Hollywood awards shows in full gear, I thought of this recipe as something that you can make ahead of time, even freeze, and then whip out for a last minute Oscar party for a crowd or just to enjoy by yourself.  I browsed the mushroom aisle at Safeway looking for a variety of wild mushrooms and was pleasantly surprised that they had maitake along with bunashimeji mushrooms.  The maitake are fruity, earthy and spicy in flavor while the bunashimeji have a nutty and buttery flavor.  I picked up some crimini and shiitake mushrooms to round out the medley.  I love the smoky and earthy flavor of the shiitake.

To enrich this little bite, I added herbed goat cheese and parmesan to the mix.  It definitely brought it up a few levels.  One of the herbs that is a true companion to mushrooms is fresh thyme - they compliment each other so well. I would suggest serving these pinwheels with a wonderful glass of Pinot Noir.  The earthiness of the mushrooms and the flavor/aroma profiles of Pinot Noir are such a natural pairing.  A great Pinot Noir will display a flavor and aroma profile that encapsulates earth, truffle, coconut, violet, rose petal, cherry, oak, vanilla and leather. 

These pinwheels could not be simpler and you can expand on this recipe to create your own custom pinwheels for your next party or bing watching day on the couch.

Wild Mushroom Pinwheels

Makes 14 to 16 pinwheels

1 Sheet Puff Pastry - thawed
1/3 cup herb goat cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Mushroom Filling

1 Pound of Wild Mushrooms (I used maitake, bunashimeji, shiitake and crimini)
2 large shallots, finely minced
4 T. Butter
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1 T. Fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Clean, de-stem and finely chop the mushrooms.  In a large skillet, add the butter over medium heat and when melted, add the minced shallots.  Cook for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme and salt & pepper.  Turn the heat up to medium high and cook.  Stir frequently.  Once the mixture is condensed, let cool. 

Note:  It is best to cook on medium or high heat once you add the mushrooms, so the water content is cooked out.

Assembly

Using a rolling pin, place the puff pastry onto a board and gently use the rolling pin to flatten just slightly and bring the seams together.

Spread the herb goat cheese over the puff pastry, leaving a half inch on one side.  Spread the cooled mushroom mixture on top of the goat cheese and spread to almost the edges.  Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese but reserve 2 tablespoons for the top. 

Start rolling the puff pastry on the opposite side that you left the 1/2 inch.  Once you get to the 1/2 inch blank puff pastry, gently brush a bit of water to help it stick.  Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Slice the roll into slightly less than 1/2 inch thick slices.  Place at least an inch apart to allow for expansion.  Sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese evenly over the unbaked pinwheels.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Enjoy!