Description
Delightfully flaky and sweet, these Strawberry Puff Pastry Hearts combine buttery puff pastry with a luscious strawberry jam filling, perfect for a romantic treat or festive snack. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, they are easy to make and visually charming with their heart shape and powdered sugar dusting.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry
- 1 sheet of puff pastry (store-bought or homemade)
Filling
- ½ cup strawberry jam or strawberry preserves
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Finishing
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking.
- Prepare Pastry: Roll out the puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface to smooth out any creases, ensuring an even thickness for uniform baking.
- Cut Shapes: Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many heart shapes as possible from the puff pastry sheet, aiming for about 8-10 hearts depending on your cutter size.
- Arrange Base Layer: Place half of the heart-shaped pastry pieces onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly.
- Add Filling: Spoon approximately 1 teaspoon of strawberry jam onto the center of each pastry heart on the baking sheet, leaving a small border around the edges to allow for sealing.
- Moisten Edges: Brush the edges of the jam-covered pastry hearts lightly with water to help seal the tops later.
- Top Layer: Place the remaining heart-shaped pastry pieces gently on top of the jam-covered hearts, pressing around the edges carefully to seal the pastries together.
- Apply Egg Wash: Whisk together the egg and water in a small bowl. Brush this egg wash over the tops of each pastry heart to achieve a beautiful golden finish when baked.
- Bake: Bake the pastries in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until they are golden brown and puffed up.
- Cool: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the puff pastry hearts to cool slightly on a rack.
- Serve: Once cooled, dust the strawberry puff pastry hearts with powdered sugar before serving to add a touch of sweetness and visual appeal.
Notes
- Ensure the puff pastry is kept cold before baking to achieve maximum puff and flakiness.
- Use a sharp cookie cutter for clean shape edges.
- If you don’t have a heart-shaped cutter, any other shape or a knife can be used to cut the pastry.
- Leftover pastries can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- For an extra glossy finish, you can do a second egg wash after sealing the edges before baking.
