Description
This delightful Valentine’s Puff Pastry Hearts recipe features flaky, golden puff pastry hearts filled with a luscious cream cheese whipped cream and fresh strawberries, finished with a drizzle of Nutella for an indulgent and romantic treat perfect for celebrations or a special dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Puff Pastry
- 1 sheet of puff pastry
- 1 tbsp flour (for dusting)
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
Filling and Toppings
- 4 oz cream cheese (50 g)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (80 g), plus more for dusting
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (250 ml)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8–10 sliced strawberries
- 2 tbsp Nutella
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F) to ensure it is hot and ready for baking the puff pastry hearts.
- Prepare the Puff Pastry: Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Fold the puff pastry sheet in half carefully, pressing or rolling gently to join the layers without flattening them too much.
- Cut the Hearts: Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out heart shapes from the folded dough sheet.
- Prick and Brush: Prick the tops of the heart shapes with a fork to allow steam to escape and brush lightly with beaten egg for a golden finish.
- Bake the Hearts: Place the hearts on a baking tray and bake for 9-10 minutes or until golden and puffed up. Oven times may vary, so watch closely.
- Make the Whipped Cream Filling: While the hearts cool, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar in a cold mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, mixing until smooth and combined.
- Whip Cream: Add the heavy whipping cream to the cream cheese mixture and beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until stiff peaks form.
- Add Vanilla: Mix in the vanilla extract gently to flavor the whipped cream filling.
- Slice the Hearts: Using a serrated knife, carefully slice each puff pastry heart in half horizontally.
- Assemble: Pipe or spread a generous amount of whipped cream filling on the bottom half of each heart.
- Add Strawberries: Place a layer of sliced strawberries over the whipped cream.
- Top and Decorate: Place the other half of the puff pastry heart on top. Lightly dust with powdered sugar and drizzle warmed Nutella over the assembled hearts for a rich finishing touch.
Notes
- Use a cold mixing bowl and whisk to help the cream cheese and heavy cream whip properly.
- Adjust the powdered sugar quantity in the whipped cream to your taste preference for sweetness.
- Heating Nutella for 30 seconds helps it drizzle and spread easily without losing its texture.
- Be gentle when folding and rolling the puff pastry to maintain its flaky layers.
- Serve these puff pastry hearts fresh on the day they are made for the best texture and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 heart (approximate)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 140 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
