Enjoy a coffee shop pastry in the comfort of your own home! Strawberries and cream puff pastry is a classic combination that evokes images of coffee shop pastries, summer picnics and garden parties. These beautiful pastries are so simple and easy to make and only need a few ingredients to make!
Making Strawberries and Cream Puff Pastry
Sometimes you just want something a little fancy. Maybe you want to feel like you're enjoying your morning coffee with a delicious rich pastry. Or maybe you're looking for a nicer more elegant treat to serve at your next summer party. These pastries look like you've spent a lot of time and energy but are perfect to make when you're short on time. They are so simple and easy to make!
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Ingredients
For this recipe you will need:
- Puff pastry
- Cream cheese
- Strawberry jam
- Sliced strawberries
- Butter
A note on puff pastry
Puff pastry is a delicious light and flaky buttery dough that has many uses. It's used by making thin alternating layers of butter and dough. You can use puff pastry in pies, tarts, pastries, desserts and baking goods. See our substitutions section for notes on finding gluten free puff pastry.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Cut your puff pastry into 6 rectangles. Move the cut pastry over to the cookie sheet, leaving a couple of inches of space between each pastry. With a fork, prick the center of each pastry, leaving about ½ inch space from all the edges.
- In a bowl, mix together the strawberry jam and softened cream cheese. Divide the mixture evenly between the pastries. Spread the mixture evenly over the center of each of the pastries, leaving about ½ inch space from the edges of the pastry. Top with sliced strawberries.
- Lightly brush the edges of the pastries with the melted butter. If you don't have a brush, you can dip a paper towel into the melted butter then brush along the edges of each pastry.
- Bake the pastries at 400 degrees for 13-17 minutes, or until the pastries are puffed and golden. Remove from the oven and serve.
Substitutions
You can make several substitutions for this recipe in order to be friendly for everyone who has dietary needs or preferences.
- Gluten free: Finding gluten free puff pastry can be a little difficult. You can make it yourself or buy store bought puff pastry. I found 2 brands, Schar, GeeFree and Jus Rol (Jus Rol is available only in the UK) that have premade puff pastry sheets. I've used Schar personally as I eat gluten free due to some colon issues, and found it to work great!
- Vegan/Dairy free: Substitute dairy free cream cheese or plant based cream cheese in place of the milk based. You can also substitute dairy free butter or plant based butter as well.
Variations
Feel free to use different berry combinations. Blueberries and strawberries would be perfect for the 4th of July! Raspberry, peaches, blackberries and apricots would be delicious too!
Tips
Here are just a few helpful tips for making perfect strawberries and cream puff pastry:
- Use Fresh Ingredients: Fresh strawberries and high-quality cream will make a noticeable difference in the flavor and texture of your dessert.
- Keep It Cool: Ensure your puff pastry remains cool before baking to achieve the best puff. If the dough becomes too warm, it can become sticky and hard to work with.
- Customize Your Filling: Feel free to add a touch of lemon zest to the cream for extra zing, or a drizzle of chocolate or white chocolate sauce for added elegance.
Storing
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. However, note that the puff pastry may lose some of its crispiness after being refrigerated.
FAQ
If you're cooking with puff pastry for the first time, you might have a few questions. Please send me any other questions you may have if I am not able to answer them for you here!
Yes, frozen puff pastry works wonderfully for this recipe. Just make sure to thaw it according to the package instructions.
Yes, you can bake the puff pastry rectangles ahead of time and store them in an airtight container. Assemble them with the cream and strawberries just before serving for the best texture.
Strawberries and Cream Puff Pastry
Equipment
- Cookie sheet
- knife for scoring
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- ¼ cup cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons natural strawberry jam
- 1 cup thinly sliced strawberries
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Prepare the Baking Sheet: Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the Puff Pastry: Slice your puff pastry into 6 rectangles.
- Arrange on the Sheet: Place the pastry rectangles on the prepared cookie sheet, ensuring there's a couple of inches of space between each one.
- Prick the Pastry: Using a fork, prick the center of each pastry rectangle, leaving about ½ inch from the edges unpricked.
- Prepare the Filling: In a bowl, combine the strawberry jam and softened cream cheese until well mixed.
- Add the Filling: Divide the strawberry cream cheese mixture evenly among the pastries, spreading it over the center of each pastry and leaving about ½ inch from the edges.
- Top with Strawberries: Place the sliced strawberries on top of the cream cheese mixture.
- Brush with Butter: Lightly brush the edges of the pastries with melted butter. If you don't have a brush, you can use a paper towel dipped in melted butter to brush along the edges.
- Bake: Bake the pastries in the preheated oven for 13-17 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden brown.
- Serve: Remove the pastries from the oven and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
burntapple
So good! Loved the gluten free variation!! Thank you!