It’s mid-winter, however I’m nonetheless excavating among the frozen treasures from my freezer after a whirlwind vacation season. In addition to turkey bones and lumps of cookie dough (which I’m having fun with each night), I additionally discovered a stray roll of pie crust. It has no field, so I don’t know if it’s vegan, gluten-free or what, but it surely’s undoubtedly pie dough—and pie dough is all the time flaky and scrumptious. In case you have a spare crust and you are not fascinated with making a complete pie, use your leftovers to make these berry cheesecake twists.
Pie crust is extraordinarily tender and flavorful all by itself, and I’ve damaged my fair proportion of plain crust off the sting of complete pies. (That is referred to as snacking crust.) Pie crust is primarily flour and salt studded with loads of fats. When it’s rolled out and baked, the fats melts and the water evaporates; this creates little pockets of air. The outcomes are buttery and tender, and an ideal car for taste—and you do not have so as to add a lot taste to make factor even higher.
Berry Cheesecake pinwheels or twists
For a straightforward snack that mimics the tangy flavors of a berry-topped cheesecake, I layered a little bit of blackberry jam and sweetened cream cheese into the pie crust and formed it into cookie-esque creations. You will get inventive with the way you make your cheesecake twists, however these are the shapes I made.
Pinwheels
1. Layer the fillings
In a small bowl, heat two ounces of cream cheese within the microwave for 10 to fifteen seconds. Add a tablespoon of powdered sugar and stir till easy. Unroll the thawed pie crust on a reducing board that may match within the fridge or freezer. Unfold the cream cheese over the whole floor. Pop the reducing board into the freezer for a couple of minutes to set the cream cheese. Unfold about two tablespoons of jam on high of the cheese layer. Ensure the jam layer could be very skinny. It’ll squish out the perimeters if it isn’t.
2. Form the dough
Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Prepared-made pie crust is often already round so I lower the circle in half. This retains the pinwheels from getting too cumbersome within the middle. Beginning on the rounded aspect, start rolling the crust up all the best way to the cut-edge. Do the identical with the opposite half moon of dough. Put the reducing board again within the freezer for about 10 minutes to agency up.
3. Bake the pinwheels
Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Take the pie crust logs out and lower half-inch segments. I prefer to use the floss technique to maintain the swirl form intact. Lay the swirls, jammier-side up, on a parchment lined baking sheet. Optionally, you’ll be able to egg wash them on the perimeters and sprinkle some sugar on them too. Bake them at 375°F for about 12 minutes, or till evenly browned and the jam is effervescent.
Twists
1. Put together the dough
Put together the dough the identical method as in Step 1 above. For Step 2, fold the dough in half, as in the event you have been making a quesadilla. Reduce this half moon in half, so you might have two quarters of a circle. Put the reducing board again within the freezer to agency up for an additional 10 minutes.
2. Form the dough
Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Reduce every quarter into six small wedges. It’s okay if among the jam squeaks out. I like to make use of egg wash right here, earlier than twisting. Egg wash one aspect of the triangles and sprinkle them generously with sugar. Then house them out on a parchment lined baking sheet and, holding the extensive finish down, twist the triangles a couple of times. Do that with all the triangles.
Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
3. Bake the twists
Bake them at 375°F for about 12 minutes, or till browned and the jam is effervescent. The very ideas of the twists will grow to be darkish brown and crispy, principally due to the sugars caramelizing. Though that doesn’t trouble me (really, it is my favourite half), you’ll be able to tuck beneath the information earlier than baking in the event you don’t need that to occur.
Cool the little pie crust cookies on a wire cooling rack for at the least 5 minutes to let the sugars cool and harden. Take pleasure in these tangy, fruity swirls for breakfast or for a fast espresso break whilst you admire your newly acquired freezer house.
