Strawberry Cream Cheese Heart Pastries (Printable version)
Flaky golden pastries filled with sweet cream cheese and strawberry preserves, shaped into charming hearts.
# List of ingredients:
→ Pastry
01 - 1 sheet (17.3 oz) frozen puff pastry, thawed
02 - 1 egg, beaten
→ Cream Cheese Filling
03 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
04 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
05 - 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Strawberry Filling
06 - 4 tablespoons strawberry preserves or jam
07 - 6 fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced thin
→ Glaze
08 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
09 - 1-2 tablespoons milk
10 - 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - On a lightly floured surface, unfold puff pastry. Using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 16 hearts. Place 8 hearts on the prepared baking sheet.
03 - With the remaining 8 hearts, use a 2-inch heart cutter to cut out the centers, creating heart-shaped frames.
04 - Brush the edges of the whole hearts on the baking sheet with egg wash. Place the heart frames on top, gently pressing down to adhere.
05 - In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
06 - Spoon about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling into the center of each heart. Top with 1/2 tablespoon strawberry preserves and a few slices of fresh strawberry.
07 - Brush the pastry edges with remaining egg wash for golden browning.
08 - Bake for 16-18 minutes until golden and puffed. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.
09 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over cooled danishes before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The contrast between crisp golden pastry and cool creamy filling is absolute heaven
- They look impressive but come together in under 45 minutes start to finish
02 -
- If your puff pastry starts getting warm and sticky while you work, pop the whole cutting board in the freezer for 5 minutes
- The cream cheese filling will puff up slightly in the oven, so do not overfill or it will spill over the edges
03 -
- Work quickly with cold pastry and do not reroll the scraps more than once or you will lose those flaky layers
- If you do not have heart cutters, a knife works just fine, and slightly imperfect shapes look charmingly rustic