Yield: 40 cookies

Bon Appetite Dec 1995 / Epicurious

December 1995: Meghan and I made these in Colorado a few times. They are very simple and quite delicious. Make a nice gift when you get invited to dinner around the holidays.

Supermarket staples – puff pastry and fruit jams – are transformed into delicate teatime treats that require very little effort. For gift giving, place the cookies between sheets of waxed paper or colorful tissue paper, and pack them in a pretty tin.

• 117¼ oz package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
• 1egg beaten to blend (glaze)
• ½cup (about) table, sparkling or sanding sugar
• ½cup (about) assorted jams (such as raspberry, apricot and kiwi)
• Powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly butter 2 heavy large baking sheets. Roll out 1 puff pastry sheet on lightly floured surface to 16×13-inch rectangle. Trim edges neatly, forming 15 x12-inch rectangle. Cut rectangle into twenty 3-inch squares. Using small sharp knife, make 1-inch-long diagonal cut in all 4 comers of 1 square, cutting toward center (do not cut through center). To form pinwheels, fold every other point of puff pastry toward center of square, pressing to adhere.

Repeat with remaining puff pastry squares.

Brush pinwheels lightly with egg glaze. Sprinkle each with ½ tsp of table or sparkling sugar. Place scant ½ tsp jam in center of each. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Bake until pinwheels are golden and puffed, about 13 minutes. Using metal spatula, transfer cookies to rack and cool. Repeat with remaining puff pastry sheet, glaze, sugar and jam.

Sprinkle cookies with one of the sugars, if desired.

Can be prepared ahead. Place cookies between waxed paper sheets in airtight containers and freeze up to 2 weeks; thaw before packing, or store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days.