Strawberries ’n Cream Puff Pastry
I celebrated National Strawberry Day with this strawberries ’n cream puff pastry, and it gave me the excuse to indulge in one of my favorite fruits. In particular, it joins my easy strawberry cheese Danish and my spiked strawberry French toast on my list of strawberry favorites.
If you love a recipe that is sweet and easy to make, this one is for you. I have no idea where puff pastry has been all my life, but I am obsessed. It is super easy and basically fool-proof, which is right up my alley. As a result, I keep making more: a wild mushroom and goat cheese puff pastry and a tomato basil mozzarella puff pastry are two of them.
What I love most is that it can be eaten for breakfast with a cup of coffee or served as dessert. What’s more, it looks beautiful on a table beside a mini cheesecake board or rhubarb puff pastries with mascarpone cream.
What Is Strawberries ’n Cream Puff Pastry?
In essence, it is a simple fruit tart. A sheet of puff pastry is baked until golden, spread with a cream cheese and mascarpone frosting, and covered with halved fresh strawberries.
Ingredients (With Purpose & Flavor Notes)
- Store-bought puff pastry (1 sheet, thawed). The flaky base.
- Cream cheese (4 ounces, room temperature). The tangy half of the frosting.
- Mascarpone cheese (4 ounces). Rich and creamy.
- Heavy cream (1/2 cup). Loosens the frosting; add more if it is too stiff.
- Vanilla extract (1 to 2 teaspoons). Warm flavor.
- Powdered sugar (4 tablespoons, sifted). Sweetens the frosting.
- Kosher salt (1 pinch). Balances the sweetness.
- Strawberries (1 pint). Rinsed, hulled and halved.
- Garnishes. A dusting of powdered sugar and thinly sliced mint.
Everything I Love for This Recipe
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Rimmed Baking Sheet
The pastry is rolled to fit just inside it.
Parchment Paper
Keeps the pastry from sticking.
Rolling Pin
For rolling the pastry into a rectangle.
Hand Mixer
Creams the cheeses smooth.
Mixing Bowl
For the frosting.
Fine Mesh Sieve
For sifting and dusting powdered sugar.
Offset Spatula
Spreads the frosting evenly.
Strawberry Huller
Quick, tidy hulling.
Paring Knife
For halving the berries.
Wooden Serving Board
Serve it right on the board, as in my photos.
Cake Server
Lifts out clean slices.
Dessert Plates
For serving.
How To Make Strawberries ’n Cream Puff Pastry
Step 1: Heat the Oven
Preheat the oven according to the puff pastry package directions.
Step 2: Roll and Dock the Pastry
Pinch together the seams and roll out the pastry into a rectangle slightly smaller than your baking sheet. Leaving a margin of about 1/2 inch around the edge, pierce the center with a fork in several places.
Step 3: Chill
If time permits, put the pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place it in the freezer for a few minutes so the butter firms up.
Step 4: Bake
Bake until golden brown.
Step 5: Make the Frosting
While the pastry bakes, cream together the cream cheese and mascarpone with a stand or hand mixer. Add the cream and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Gradually add the powdered sugar, then the salt. Add more cream if the frosting is too stiff.
Step 6: Prep the Strawberries
While the pastry cools slightly, rinse and hull the strawberries and slice them in half.
Step 7: Assemble
Frost the pastry, using the 1/2-inch margin as a boundary. Add the strawberries, sliced side down, covering the pastry.
Step 8: Garnish
Finish with a dusting of powdered sugar and thinly sliced mint leaves, if desired.
Strawberries ’n Cream Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 1 sheet store-bought puff pastry thawed
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 4 oz mascarpone cheese
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons powdered sugar sifted
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 pint strawberries
Suggested Garnishes
- powdered sugar for dusting
- mint leaves thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven according to the puff pastry package directions.
- Pinch together the seams and roll out the pastry into a rectangle slightly smaller than your baking sheet. Leaving a margin of about 1/2 inch around the edge, pierce the center of the pastry with a fork in several places.
- If time permits, put the pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place it in the freezer for a few minutes to allow the butter to firm up. This helps keep the butter from melting too quickly and creating lopsided pastry.
- Bake until golden brown.
- While the pastry bakes, make the frosting. Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and mascarpone. Add the cream and vanilla extract and mix to combine thoroughly. Gradually add the powdered sugar, only adding more when the previous amount is incorporated. Add the salt. More cream can be added if the frosting is too stiff.
- While the pastry cools slightly, rinse and hull the strawberries and slice them in half.
- Frost the pastry, using the 1/2-inch margin as a boundary. Add the strawberries, sliced side down, covering the pastry.
- Garnish with a dusting of powdered sugar and thinly sliced mint leaves, if desired.
KEEP HOSTING
More sweet things worth making for the people at your table.
Tomato Basil Mozzarella Puff Pastry
Golden puff pastry topped with tomato, basil, and melty mozzarella.
Get the Recipe →
Mushroom & Sweet Onion Baked Brie Puff Pastry
Buttery puff pastry baked with brie, mushrooms, and sweet onion.
Get the Recipe →
Prosciutto Asparagus Puff Pastry Bundles
Flaky puff pastry wrapped around savory asparagus and prosciutto.
Get the Recipe →Variations
Change the Fruit
Other berries work the same way.
Go Savory
Try the mushroom or tomato puff pastries linked above.
Try a Pear Version
My pear puff pastry with goat cheese, rosemary and honey.
Bake a Galette
The apple galette is another easy pastry dessert.
When I Love Serving This Puff Pastry
National Strawberry Day
Where it all started.
Brunch
Furthermore, it pairs with coffee and a French toast board.
Baby and Bridal Showers
Here is how I host a baby shower.
Mother’s Day
Pretty, pink and simple.
Summer Dessert
Equally important, it uses berries at their best.
Valentine’s Day
A sweet finish to dinner at home.
What To Serve With It
Another Sweet
Mini chocolate tarts with fresh fruit, the pound cake bar or chocolate chip muffins.
A Frozen Treat
A Drink
Lemonade prosecco punch, raspberry lemonade or my strawberry smoothie.
A Brunch Bake
A very berry French toast casserole.
Shelf Life & Storage Tips
- Best the day it is made. Puff pastry softens as it sits under frosting.
- Make ahead. Bake the pastry and make the frosting separately, then assemble shortly before serving.
- Leftovers. Cover and refrigerate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What temperature do I bake it at?
Follow the directions on your puff pastry package.
Why pierce the center of the pastry?
It keeps the middle from puffing, so the 1/2-inch border rises into a crust.
What is in the frosting?
Cream cheese, mascarpone, heavy cream, vanilla, powdered sugar and a pinch of salt.
What if the frosting is too stiff?
Add a little more cream.
Can I eat it for breakfast?
Yes. I love it with a cup of coffee.
Final Thoughts
All things considered, no matter when you choose to eat this pastry, it is going to make you very happy. Without a doubt, it is one of the easiest desserts I make.
