Description
Delight in these charming Strawberry Danish Hearts—flaky puff pastry filled with a creamy vanilla-sweetened cream cheese and topped with fresh strawberries. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet snack, these pastries are easy to prepare and bake to golden perfection with a crunchy sugar topping and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pastry
- 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3 tablespoons Turbinado sugar or raw sugar
Topping
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy cleanup.
- Prepare Cream Cheese Mixture: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy, creating a sweet, flavorful filling.
- Prepare Pastry Hearts: Gently unfold the puff pastry sheets and smooth out the creases with a rolling pin. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 10 hearts and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Assemble Pastries: Spoon a dollop of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each puff pastry heart, spreading it into a smaller heart shape, leaving a border around the edges for a neat, defined look.
- Add Strawberries: Top each cream cheese filled heart with sliced fresh strawberries for a juicy, sweet-tart contrast.
- Brush and Sugar: Lightly brush the edges of each pastry heart with the beaten egg to promote browning and help the sugar stick, then sprinkle the edges with Turbinado sugar for a crunchy, caramelized finish.
- Bake: Bake the pastries for 15 to 18 minutes or until they turn golden brown and puff up beautifully.
- Finish: Remove the pastries from the oven and dust them with powdered sugar before serving to add an elegant touch and additional sweetness.
Notes
- For best results, use fresh strawberries instead of thawed frozen ones to avoid excess moisture which may prevent the pastries from puffing properly and make them soggy.
- You can substitute Turbinado sugar with sanding sugar or coarse sugar if unavailable.
- Ensure the cream cheese is fully softened to achieve a smooth filling without lumps.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pastry
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 130mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
