Savory Shortcrust Pastry Swirls

Savory shortcrust pastry swirls are an excellent choice for an aperitif or a tasty snack. Here is the recipe to make them.

Ingredients

• 250 g of type 00 flour
• 125 g of cold butter, cubed
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• About 50 ml of cold water
• Salt to taste
• Filling of choice (example: cooked ham, cream cheese, chives, pesto, olive tapenade, etc.)

Preparation

1. In a bowl, mix the flour with a pinch of salt. Add the cold butter and work with the fingertips until the mixture becomes sandy.
2. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the egg and yolk. Mix the ingredients quickly, adding the cold water a little at a time, until a homogenous dough is formed. You might not need all the water, use only as much as is necessary to bind the dough.
3. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in cling film, and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
4. In the meantime, prepare the filling by mixing the chosen ingredients until you obtain a spreadable cream.
5. Roll out the savory shortcrust pastry into a rectangular sheet about 3 mm thick.
6. Spread the filling over the pastry sheet, leaving a border of about 1 cm on the long sides.
7. Roll up the pastry sheet from the long side, making sure to tighten well.
8. Wrap the obtained roll in cling film and put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes. This step will help in cutting more precise swirls.
9. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
10. Remove the roll from the freezer, take off the cling film, and cut into slices about 1-2 cm thick.
11. Arrange the swirls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving some space between each one.
12. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the swirls are golden brown.
13. Let them cool on a wire rack before serving.

You can enhance the flavor of your swirls by adding chopped fresh aromatic herbs such as rosemary or thyme, or a sprinkle of grated Parmesan before baking.

Fun Fact

Savory shortcrust pastry swirls are very versatile and can be customized in many ways. They derive from French cuisine, where savory shortcrust pastry, known as “pâte brisée”, is used for quiches and savory tarts. In the Italian variant, you can find typical fillings such as ham and cheese, Genovese pesto, or chopped sun-dried tomatoes with mozzarella.