Strawberry Cream Cheese Heart Pastries (Printable)
Golden flaky pastries with sweet cream cheese and strawberry filling, shaped into charming hearts.
# What You Need:
→ Pastry Components
01 - 1 sheet (17.3 oz) frozen puff pastry, thawed
02 - 1 large egg, beaten for egg wash
→ Cream Cheese Filling
03 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
04 - 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
05 - 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Strawberry Filling
06 - 4 tablespoons strawberry preserves or jam
07 - 6 medium fresh strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
→ Vanilla Glaze
08 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
09 - 1-2 tablespoons whole milk
10 - 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
# How-To:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - On a lightly floured work surface, unfold puff pastry. Use a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut 16 hearts. Transfer 8 whole hearts to the prepared baking sheet.
03 - Using a 2-inch heart cutter, cut centers from the remaining 8 pastry hearts to create frames. Set aside.
04 - Lightly brush edges of the solid hearts on the baking sheet with egg wash. Carefully place the heart frames on top, pressing gently to seal edges together.
05 - In a small mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat until completely smooth and creamy.
06 - Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling into each heart center. Top with 1/2 tablespoon strawberry preserves and arrange 2-3 fresh strawberry slices on top.
07 - Brush the exposed pastry edges with remaining egg wash for golden browning.
08 - Bake for 16-18 minutes until pastry is deeply golden, puffed, and cooked through. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes.
09 - While pastries cool, whisk powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until smooth. Add additional milk 1/2 teaspoon at a time if needed for drizzling consistency.
10 - Drizzle glaze generously over cooled danishes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- They look like you spent hours at a fancy bakery, but the secret is store-bought puff pastry doing all the hard work
- The cream cheese filling balances the sweet jam with just enough tang to keep you coming back for seconds
02 -
- Cold puff pastry is your friend, if it gets too warm the butter layers start melting and you lose all those gorgeous flaky layers
- Don't overfill the centers, the filling will bubble and spill during baking, making a mess of your pretty heart frames
03 -
- Use kitchen shears to trim any ragged edges after cutting the hearts, clean lines make them look professionally made
- Chill the filled danishes for 15 minutes before baking if your kitchen is warm, this helps them hold their shape better