Ham & Mustard Puff Pastry Pinwheels

📝 Ingredients

• 1 rectangular sheet of puff pastry (about 230 g)
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 4 slices cooked ham (about 40 g each)
• 40 g grated Emmental
• 1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp semi-skimmed milk (for glazing)
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• Black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Baking sheet
• Baking paper
• Very sharp knife
• Pastry brush
• Small bowl
• Fork

📖 Steps

1. Take the puff pastry out of the fridge 10 minutes before unrolling it: too cold and it cracks; too warm and it sticks and is hard to roll. In the small bowl, beat the egg yolk with the milk using a fork to make the egg wash.
2. Unroll the pastry on its baking paper, long side facing you. Spread the mustard in a thin, even layer over the whole surface with the back of a spoon, leaving a 2 cm strip clear along the far edge.
3. Cover the mustard with the slices of ham laid side by side, slightly overlapping, without going onto the clear strip. Sprinkle the grated Emmental in an even layer and season with pepper.
4. Brush the clear strip with a little egg wash. Roll the pastry up tightly, starting from the long side nearest you and using the baking paper to help, then press on the glazed strip to seal the roll.
5. Wrap the roll in its baking paper and put it in the freezer for 20 minutes: when nice and firm, it slices cleanly without squashing. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 °C and line the baking tray with a fresh sheet of baking paper.
6. Cut the roll into 1.5 cm thick slices with the very sharp knife, sawing gently without pressing down. Lay them flat on the tray, spaced 3 cm apart, as they puff up during baking.
7. Brush the tops of the pinwheels with the rest of the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until well puffed and golden, including underneath: a pale base means the pastry is still raw.
8. Leave to cool for 5 minutes on the tray before serving, as the melted cheese is scalding straight out of the oven. The pinwheels are best eaten hot or warm, and stay crisp for about 2 hours.