Quick Cream Cheese Swirls
Quick cream cheese swirls are my speedy cheese & herb filled pastry snacks, using shop-bought puff pastry. A great addition to any New Year or party table, these are sure to impress your guests.
Quick Cream Cheese Swirls
A Speedy Pastry Snack
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What Are Cream Cheese Swirls?
These speedy cream cheese swirls are puff pastries filled with a mixture of cream cheese, herbs, mozzarella & cheddar.
They are quick to make by using a sheet of ready-made & shop-bought puff pastry.
Why Make Cream Cheese Swirls?
- Easy & quick to make
- Taste great for minimal effort
- Versatile recipe
- Taste better than shop-bought
- Looks good
- Great last-minute treat
- Perfect for New Year or Parties
- Great Savoury bake
- No special equipment needed
- No bowls or lots of washing up
- Perfect for beginner bakers
- Even Mary Berry has ready-made puff pastry in her freezer!
Ingredients & Alternatives
- Puff Pastry Sheet
- Herb Cream Cheese
- Grated Mozzarella (shredded)
- Extra/Mature Cheddar (extra sharp)
- Herbs
- Egg
**Ingredient amounts listed in Recipe Card below
Puff Pastry
Ready-made, shop bought sheet of puff pastry will save you time & energy, but you can also roll out a block of pastry. Try & get a frozen kind if possible, as they tend to have less additives and preservatives in them.
Cream Cheese
I used Aldi brand of Garlic Herb, full fat Cream Cheese. Alternative would be the plain version.
Herbs
I used a new seasoning from Aldi that I use in everything just now – their Garlic Herb variety. As well as the garlic, its predominant herb is rosemary & is great in so many dishes. But is optional, or you could add your personal favourite.
Cheeses
A combination of cheeses is used here – mozzarella for staying in the pastries better, and extra/mature cheese (extra/sharp cheddar) for colour and flavour.
Both the cheeses should be in grated form (also known as shredded), making it much easier to roll up.
Egg
The egg is used to help seal the pastry when rolled, as well as being used as an egg-wash to give the pastry a nice golden colour. The egg is optional if you don’t have any, and a little milk will also work for a nice glaze to the pastry swirls.
Recipe Yield
Using the recommended size of pastry and size of slices, this recipe should yield 18 cheese swirls.
Equipment
Less equipment is needed than say making a cake. No special equipment, no mixer, standard kitchen equipment really.
- Grater/Shredder – for the cheese
- Knives – butter knife & sharp knife
- Chopping Board
- Tin Foil (aluminium foil)
- Baking/Parchment Paper or mat/liner
- Oven tray or 2
- Cooling rack
Step By Step Instructions
1. Begin by lining 2 baking trays/baking sheets with baking/parchment paper & grease in place if needed.
2. Next unwrap your ready-made puff pastry roll and unroll onto the paper it comes with. (Tip – if the pastry is particularly sticky, use some baking/parchment paper and dust lightly with some flour). **If using a block of pastry or your own puff pastry, roll out to a rectangle 26cm x 38 cm (10 inches x 15 inches) and thickness of about 3mm (⅛”).
3. Spread the garlic herb cream cheese on top of the pastry, leaving a little ½ cm (⅕”) gap on the beginning and end of the long side of the pastry only (see Photo 1, top two pics).
4. Add some seasoning of choice on top of the cream cheese – I used Aldi’s Garlic herb mixture, that is a lovely garlic and rosemary blend). Then sprinkle the grated/shredded mature/extra mature (extra sharp) cheddar & mozzarella on top, again leaving a little gap at the beginning and end of the pastry. See Photo 1.
5. Fold over the end of pastry nearest you (make sure it is the widest length in front of you), and roll away from yourself. Roll tightly, neatening the ends as you go.
6. Once you are nearly at the end, use your fingertips to thin down the end of pastry & brush on a little egg-wash, before the final roll to the end. Use your fingertips again to press down on the join. Turn over the roll of pastry, and roll back and forth a few times to smooth the join. Alternately pinch the pastry join together.
7. Cut the pastry roll in half and wrap each piece in foil before placing in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill and firm. Set your oven to a temperature of 200°c/180°c Fan Oven/400°f/Gas Mark 6 to coincide with the end of the chilling time.
8. Slice each of the pastry halves, about ½”(1¼ cm) wide. This will make about 18 pieces.
9. Place the pastry swirls on the prepared baking tray/sheet, with a gap of about 1″ (2½ cm) and gently shape the swirls into a more round shape if needed. **Tip – if the oven is not ready yet, place the pastries in the fridge till ready).
10. Pop the pastry swirls into the centre of the oven, and bake for about 20 – 25 minutes until set, a nice golden shade and fully puffed. Be sure to check after 20 minutes and turn & rotate the baking trays/sheets of needed, after the 15 minute mark.
11. Leave on the baking tray/sheet for 5 minutes, before transferring, paper and all, to a cooling rack.
11. Leave to cool before enjoying, or serve just a little warm.
12. Serve with your favourite cheeses, with a dip or along side other party or new Year nibbles.
Storing Cheese Swirls
Cream cheese pastry swirls are best stored in a metal cake or cookie tin, or other airtight container. Store with the paper you baked them on and this will help retain any moisture away from the pastries. These should last about 3 days.
Store at room temperature but not somewhere too warm. You can place in the fridge if needed, but best heated a little when ready to eat. A quick 10-15 second blast in the microwave will remove the cold edge, but best warmed in an oven or air fryer for a few minutes until warm to touch. (cover if you don’t want them to colour too much).
Other Savoury & Cheesy Snacks
On the hunt for more delicious savoury snacks or want to please someone very ‘cheesy’? Here are some easy bakes:
Easy smoked paprika cheesy squares (& stars) are in some of the photo with the pastry swirls, as are super simple and quick, cheese pastry twists – another quick snack using ready-made puff pastry. (See below).
Want a different filling for these pastry swirls? Then try the Feta & Dill Pastry Swirls recipe.
Don’t want an actual pastry, or a yeasted dough but something similar and easy to make? Try these Speedy Cheese Swirls, where you quickly prepare the dough & can fill with cheddar and fresh herbs, or soft white cheese.
Goo to the New Year & Party Page, or check out the index below:
Alternatively, more savoury snacks and nibbles are shown below – just click the pics to go to the recipes.
Recipe Card
Quick Cream Cheese Swirls
Equipment
- Digital scales or measuring cups (optional)
- Large knife
- Chopping Board
- Butter knife or palette knife
- Grater
- Tin Foil (Aluminium foil)
- 2 Baking tray/sheet (or 1 extra large)
- Baking/parchment paper
- Pastry Brush (Or never used paint/artist brush)
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 375 grams Puff Pastry, ready-made & pre-rolled if possible (13¼ oz pack, approx. You can of course make your own. Frozen shop-bought better with less additives & preservatives)
- 110 grams Cream Cheese, garlic & herb (3¾ oz, ½ cup)
- 80 grams Extra/Mature Cheddar Cheese, grated (2¾ oz, ¾ cup shredded extra/sharp cheddar)
- 80 grams Mozzarella, grated (2¾ oz, ¾ cup shredded mozzarella)
Egg-wash
- 1 Egg, beaten with splash of milk or olive oil (Any size of egg you have)
Instructions
Prepare The Pastry Swirls
- Begin by lining 2 baking trays/baking sheets with baking/parchment paper, greasing in place if needed.
- Unroll the ready-made puff pastry sheet on its own paper or flour dusted paper. If using homemade pastry or a block of pastry, roll out to a rectangle measuring 26cm x 38 cm (10 inches x 15 inches). (**Neaten as you roll out so you don't need to trim edges). The pastry will be about 3mm (⅛") thick.
- Lay the pastry horizontally so that the widest length is running across the way, with this widest edge near you. Spread the cream cheese on top of the pastry, leaving a gap of about ½cm ( ⅕ ") along the 2 longest edges only. Then sprinkle the seasoning and grated cheeses on top.
- Roll up the pastry starting at the end nearest you, tightening and neatening the ends as you go. Once near the end, use fingertips & push down on the furthest away end to thin the pastry slightly. Then finish the roll and squeeze the join together by hand, before rolling the pastry log a few times to smooth the join.
- Cut the pastry roll in half, wrap each in foil & twist the ends tight before placing in the fridge for 30 minutes. Set your oven to 200°c/180°c Fan Oven/400°f/Gas Mark 6 & to coincide with the chill time ending.
- Slice each roll in slices about ½"(1¼ cm) wide, to make a total of 18 swirls. Carefully transfer to the prepared baking sheets/trays, leaving a gap of 1"/2½cm & shape any back into a round shape if needed. **Brush egg-wash on top of the swirls before baking. Note, if too soft, you can do this part-way through baking. (*Tip – if the oven is not ready yet, place the pastries in the fridge to chill. If particularly soft, you can freeze or delay heating your oven).
Bake The Pastry Swirls
- Bake the cream cheese swirls in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until set, puffed up, cooked all the way through (including the bottom) and a deep golden colour.
- Remove from the oven and leave on the baking tray/sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to the cooling rack with the paper.
Serving & Storage
- Eat when cool or just a little warm and serve with your favourite cheese, dip or other savoury snacks and nibbles.
- Best stored in a metal cake or cookie tin, or a similar airtight container, with the paper you baked on, and will last about 3 days. However, they are best served same day for fresh pastry taste. Can be stored at room temperature if not too warm. If storing in the fridge, best eaten when slightly warm.
Notes
Puff Pastry – a ready-rolled sheet of pastry will be quicker. Try and use frozen shop-bought puff pastry as it has less additives & preservatives in it. Or make your own puff pastry!
Make In Stages – You can prepare the swirls ahead of time, up to chilling in the fridge before slicing, or after slicing. Leave in the fridge no more than 2 days and leave out at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking.
See more pastries & quick bakes in New Year & Pary Bakes
Learn how to make pastry in Pastry 10 Tutorial.Subscribe For More Recipes
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Happy Learning & Baking!
Caro x
Quick Cream Cheese Swirls
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Caroline’s Easy Baking Lessons
Another winner for the quick home baked snacks from Caro! Perfect for New Year, and no hassle to prepare. Very moreish.
This is such a great recipe. So easy and equally delicious. Family love them. Goes well with a glass of wine!. Thanks for sharing.