Spicy Sausage Pinwheels with Flaky Puff Pastry

1.Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.In a medium bowl, combine the raw spicy Italian sausage, softened cream cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, smoked paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt.

3.Use your hands or a fork to thoroughly mix all the filling ingredients until they are uniformly combined.

4.Lightly flour a clean work surface. Unfold the thawed puff pastry sheet onto the surface.

5.Spread the sausage mixture evenly over the entire surface of the puff pastry sheet, leaving about a 1/2-inch border along one of the long edges.

6.Starting from the long edge opposite the clean border, tightly roll the pastry into a log.

7.Once rolled, gently pinch the seam closed. Wrap the log tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up, which makes slicing easier.

8.Remove the chilled log from the refrigerator and discard the plastic wrap. Slice the log into 1/2-inch thick rounds (pinwheels). You should get approximately 16-20 pinwheels.

9.Place the pinwheels cut-side up on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between them.

10.Brush the tops and sides of each pinwheel generously with the beaten egg wash.

11.Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed, golden brown, and the sausage filling is cooked through.

12.Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.