Appetizer Made Easy - Pinwheels

I have thought about making something like this for quite a while.  The opportunity finally arose to create a special appetizer when I had a bunch of my girl friends over for a jewelry party.  This recipe is great if you are in a rush and need something quick to throw together.

I debuted my very first "pinwheel" recipe over the weekend at the party.  There are many more pinwheel recipes to come.  Pizza dough is a blank canvas - you can put almost anything on a pizza crust and turn it into a work of art.

Give this a try along with your typical cheese and cracker plate.  The appetizer is meant to be light but packed with flavor.  It was a major hit with my ladies.


Prep time = 10 minutes
Cook time = 15 or 20 minutes

Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Pinwheels
- 1 cup sun dried tomato, diced
- 1/3 cup fresh basil
- 1 roll of thin crust pizza dough (not baked)
- 1 TBSP of extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Garlic salt
- Pepper

Spread the dough over a greased baking sheet.  Leave an inch open on each long side of the dough... this will help with rolling.  Spread the EVOO over the dough and season.  Apply the rest of the ingredients evenly to the the dough.  Roll tightly and seal both ends.  Bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes.  Cut and serve.

Tip 1:  Freeze the dough first.  I completely lost track of time with this and did it the opposite way.  My suggestion is to freeze the pizza dough, build the the pinwheel and THEN cut it before baking.  It is difficult to cut dough that is not firm; which is why I cut it after baking.  It's up to you and your preference though.  Keep in mind that cutting before baking will decrease the cooking time to about 10 minutes.

Tip 2:  Look for sun-dried tomatoes in a jar of oil and use some of that oil on the dough instead.  The flavor will be even more bold. 

Wallet Alert:  Sun-dried tomatoes can be a little pricey.  An 8 oz. jar of these delicious treasures will run you about $4.99 depending on where you shop and where you live.  But you can also use this on sandwiches or in a pasta dish.  A little goes a long way.

I hope that your friends and guests enjoy this as much as mine did.  Keep reading... there is more where that came from!  Thanks for reading... have a fantastic week.


We could all use a hint of more time!
Copyright 2011 Hint of Thyme.  All rights reserved.