Christmas Party Canapés
Cheese and Celery Pinwheels (Whirls)
I have fallen in love with canapés and small bites this year, and I am convinced that all you need is a table filled with tasty canapés, both savoury and sweet, and then a “sit-down” meal is not required. It all started with my special Thrifty and Organic menu for December at the beginning of the month, where I shared recipes for FIVE fabulously festive small bites and nibbles that comprised:
Verrines of Brussels Sprout Velouté (Creamy Brussels Sprouts Soup)
Mini Yorkshire Puddings with Spiced Red Cabbage and Ham
Stilton and Walnut Open Danish Sandwich Toasts with Cranberry Relish
Mini Soda Bread Scones with Smoked Salmon and Chive Cream
Leading on from those canapé recipes, today’s offering for Cheese and Celery Pinwheels (Whirls), made with an ingredient I also love, Fenland Celery, as well as some nutty Gruyère cheese, will also sit very nicely on the buffet table this Christmas and New Year. These wee pinwheels (or whirls) are a breeze to make and they always disappear very quickly. They are based on another recipe I often make, that encases chopped celery inside a cheesy scone mixture, as based on a recipe from the lovely National Trust book called Teatime Baking Book: Good Old-fashioned Recipes; but, today’s recipe is for much daintier morsels that has cream cheese and Dijon mustard added for a an unctuous filling.
Fenland Celery
I know Fenland Celery very well, as my paternal grandmother came from East Anglia where it is grown, and I remember many a Sunday tea time table set out with sandwiches, cake, salad, pickles, scones and an old “celery vase” filled with Fenland celery, when it was in season. This delicious celery has has become the first English vegetable to earn Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status from the European Commission, joining an exclusive club of quality British food products. It is grown using traditional celery growing methods in the rich peaty soil of the Fens, but has quite a short growing season from October to December.
I have used this celery before on Lavender and Lovage, and made a delicious Fenland Celery Soup; when using celery, soup is often the first choice, but, this special vegetable is far more versatile than most people realise, hence my recipe today for the festive season. I DO like a big vase of fresh celery on the table, it’s crunch and taste brings freshness to a buffet table, but, it is also wonderful when added to soups, stews, casseroles, salads, scones, quiches, pies and tarts, as well as being an essential ingredient in Bolognese sauce.
Fenland Celery Soup
As part of my review package for the delicious Fenland celery I was sent, I was also lucky enough to visit a wonderful little restaurant in Ealing, Charlotte’s Place, where Dom (from Belleau Kitchen) and I tasted and judged their entry into a competition that asked London and East Anglian chefs to create recipes using Fenland celery and Powters Newmarket Sausages. We were very happy to comply and at the beginning of December we made our way over to Charlotte’s Place to taste their entry, Caramelised Fenland Celery Heart and Powter’s Newmarket Sausage, with Remoulade and Apple Mustard.
Caramelised Fenland Celery Heart and Powter’s Newmarket Sausage, with Remoulade and Apple Mustard
I can now report back, that Charlotte’s Place won the PGI Heroes competition for the London sector for their Caramelised Fenland Celery Heart and Powter’s Newmarket Sausage, with Remoulade and Apple Mustard recipe, which is very well-deserved and NOT that surprising! Apart from the winning recipe, Dom and I also had the most amazing meal there, and I cannot recommend this restaurant enough – from its cosy dining area, friendly staff and excellent service to the innovative, seasonally inspired menu, it’s a real gem.
But, back to my recipe for today, it may not be in the same league as chef Ben Achurch’s winning recipe, but in its own way, it is a definite winner for any party catering this festive season, and I have two dozen of these beauties in the freezer already for a bit of fizz and sparkle on Christmas Eve! I hope you enjoy the recipe, if you make it, and do let me know what you think of these wee cheese and celery pinwheels……see you later this week, Karen
NB: I used some Gruyère cheese that I was given in a recent trip to Avignon, you can read all about my trip here:
Avignon, South of France with Cheese, Wine, Apples, Nocturnal Picnics & Fine Food
Cheese and Celery Pinwheels
Print recipe
| Serves | 18 to 24 |
| Prep time | 15 minutes |
| Cook time | 15 minutes |
| Total time | 30 minutes |
| Allergy | Milk |
| Dietary | Vegetarian |
| Meal type | Appetizer, Snack, Starter |
| Misc | Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold, Serve Hot |
| Occasion | Birthday Party, Casual Party, Christmas, Easter, Formal Party, Thanksgiving |
| Region | British |
| By author | Karen S Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
- 1 x 320g packet ready-rolled puff pastry
- 4 tablespoons cream cheese (mixed with 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard)
- 4 stalks of celery, very finely diced (I used Fenland celery)
- 125g Gruyère cheese, grated (or hard cheese of your choice)
- salt and pepper to taste
Note
These delightful little cheese and celery canapés are best served with fresh celery sticks and a pinch of celery salt for that extra celery kick. You can also make them larger to accompany soups, stews and salads. (I used Fenland Celery, which is in season between October and December, but use any local seasonal celery you have to hand)
Directions
| Step 1 | Pre-heat oven to 220C/450F/Gas mark 8. Line a baking tray/sheet with baking paper. |
| Step 2 | Carefully unroll the puff pastry and lay it on a floured board. |
| Step 3 | Spread the cream cheese and Dijon mustard over the pastry, leaving a 2.5cm (1") border all around the edge. |
| Step 4 |
 Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top and then scatter the diced celery over. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. |
| Step 5 | Carefully roll the pastry up like a Swiss roll from the narrow end, so you have a long stuffed roll of pastry, making sure the it's fairly tight as you roll. |
| Step 6 |
 Cut the roll into 1/4" thick slices and place each slice flat side down on the prepared baking tray/sheet. |
| Step 7 |
 Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the pinwheels have puffed up and are a dark golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. |
| Step 8 | Serve just warm as part of a Buffet canapé table with celery salt and fresh celery sticks. |
| Step 9 | These freeze very well - freeze before baking for best results and cook from frozen allowing an extra few minutes to bake them. |
Dominic says
what a lovely post… love how you’ve combined our gorgeous review meal with these adorable pinwheels…. and congrats to the chef for winning with his excellent dish!… I love what you say about canapés too… I could have a whole meal with just canapés… yours looks so gorgeous… but what’s not to love? pastry… cheese… celery!..GORGEOUS!
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Dom! It was a lovely evening wasn’t it, and I am so pleased that our judging notes helped Ben to win the London region prize for PGI Heroes too!
Here’s to a canapé laden Christmas!
kellie@foodtoglow says
What cute little pastries! I love that they are not only simple but feature a bit of a Cinderella, but oh-so-useful, veg. Lots of lovely small bites links to explore too. Have a happy Christmas when it comes.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Kellie – I agree that celery is the “cinderella” of veggies, and yet I simply love it! You have a wonderful Christmas too! 🙂
Deena kakaya says
They look like such fun to make and eat Karen, and a lovely way to use celery which is usually rather unloved in our home x
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Deena! I am so surprised you are not celery lovers in your household, it’s such a lovely “savoury” vegetable!
Liz Thomas says
I’m not at all a fan of raw celery but quite like it cooked and these, with the cheese, sound really good, something different. Will definitely be trying when back in France and reunited with my oven!
Cheers!
Liz
Karen Burns-Booth says
I know what you mean Liz! I so like raw celery, but it has to be thin stalks and not those big, stingy stalks! However, celery becomes a decadent little veggie when cooked, and I love it in all manner of cooked and baked recipes!
Janie says
Nice! Loving the look of those pinwheels Karen, and I bet they smell as good as they look!
Janie x
Karen Burns-Booth says
They were proper lush Janie! 😉
Madeleine Morrow says
What a coincidence! Only this week I came across this very celery in M&S sold as ‘heritage celery’. I couldn’t resist it as it looked so lovely. Used it in a stirfry. Thanks for the info you have provided about its provenance. I love the canape – I am going to a vegetarian’s new years eve party so this will be a lovely canape to take along as an offering.
Karen Burns-Booth says
I am so pleased you were able to buy some of this celery Madeleine, and these will be the perfect canapé to take for your vegetarian party on New Year’s Eve too!
Janice says
I just love celery, both raw and cooked. These little bites look delicious.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Janice, they WERE delicious, all gone now!
Franglais kitchen, Nazima says
I love canapes too – and these look delicious. Love the flavour combination and pastry on canapes makes for a very more-ish snack. yum!
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Nazima, the cream cheese really made these little pastry whirls extra special!
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com says
Karen, I’m a great fan of the pinwheel, and these look perfectly scrummy. A new way (to me) to use celery!
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Jean – I am delighted you like this new recipe for canapés and celery!
poppy@thecatfishcafe says
I was just pottering around thinking about a tasty canape for pre-dinner tomorrow (New Year’s Eve) and I came across your recipe – which looks great. So I’m off to get some ingredients right now! I am really enjoying your blog.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Poppy and Happy New Year to you! Karen
Emma Jayne says
I have always found canapés a great addition to any buffet but I really love the style you’ve given this Christmas Party canapé. I will definitely add it to my canapé selection menu for my buffet catering offering, of course after a little practice of it.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks so much Emma Jayne! Happy New Year too!
Paul @ Snow Trippin says
Karen Burns-Booth says
Great quote! And I hope you enjoy these if and when you make them Paul!