Brown Sugar Cheese Tortilla Pinwheels
Brown Sugar Cheese Tortilla Pinwheels
Warm flour tortillas wrapped around mild cheese become crisp-edged pinwheels with a light cinnamon-brown-sugar coating. Chilling the rolls before slicing keeps the spirals intact, while skillet toasting melts the centers.
Details
- Yield: 12 pinwheels, 4 servings
- Prep: 15 minutes
- Chill: 15 minutes
- Cook: 6–8 minutes
- Equipment: skillet, spatula, knife, board, small bowl, thermometer
Ingredients
- 2 medium (8-inch) flour tortillas
- 4 ounces light cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
- Pinch of fine salt
Method
- Warm each tortilla in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for about 20 seconds per side, just until flexible. Cool for 1 minute.
- Spread each with 2 ounces cream cheese, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Roll tightly into a cylinder, seam-side down. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
- Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut each roll into six equal pieces with a sharp knife.
- Melt butter in the skillet over medium-low heat. Arrange pinwheels cut-side down and cook 2–3 minutes. Turn and cook the second cut side 2 minutes, then rotate briefly to warm the edges.
- Confirm the centers reach 165°F. Remove from heat and sprinkle the measured sugar mixture over the hot pinwheels, turning gently to coat. Cool 3 minutes before serving.
Technique and troubleshooting
Warming makes tortillas pliable and prevents cracking, but overheating makes them dry. The cream cheese must be soft enough to spread without tearing. Keep the border clear because filling moves outward during rolling. A brief chill firms the cylinders; skipping it creates flattened, messy slices.
Use medium-low heat so the tortilla browns as the cheese warms. High heat can scorch sugar and leave a cold center. Apply the sugar after skillet cooking rather than before, when it could burn. If the seam opens, place that side against the skillet first and hold it briefly with the spatula.
Serving, substitutions, and storage
Serve three pinwheels per portion with sliced apple or berries. Those accompaniments are separate. Whole-wheat tortillas can replace plain flour tortillas if equally flexible. Neufchâtel cheese may replace light cream cheese by weight. Granulated sugar does not provide the same molasses flavor but can be used in equal volume.
These are best freshly toasted. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours for up to 3 days. Reheat in a covered skillet over low heat until 165°F. Do not leave cream-cheese pinwheels at room temperature longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Freezing is not recommended because the cheese may become grainy.
Uniform portions
Trim neither end before counting portions; each tortilla is divided into six pieces. Mark the midpoint first, cut each half into thirds, and use a clean downward slice so the spiral does not compress. Arrange similarly sized pieces together in the skillet and move thinner end pieces to a cooler area if they brown early.
