These Puff Pastry Hearts are the perfect treat. With their flaky puff pastry crust filled with soft smooth pastry cream then topped with a darling heart shaped strawberry. They are the perfect Valentine’s Day Dessert.
I always keep a box of Puff Pastry in the freezer. Just defrost in the refrigerator and within an hour you are ready to start putting a recipe together. Puff Pastry is a pastry that is formed by alternating layers of dough and butter, which gives it a light, crispy texture when baked. Puff Pastry alone is delicious but when topped with pastry cream, it is irresistible.
How To Make Puff Pastry Hearts
Start by making your pastry cream. In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt and milk until combined. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring frequently. Once it reaches a boil, cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture starts to thicken.
In a separate mixing bowl whisk together the egg yolks. Using one hand to whisk and one hand to pour, gently stream about 1 cup of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, making sure to be mixing in the warm liquid constantly as to not cook your eggs. Slowly add the tempered egg mixture into the saucepan and continue cooking over medium heat whisking constantly until mixture starts to come to a gentle boil and starts to thicken slightly.
Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla extract and whisk until butter is melted.
Transfer hot custard to a glass bowl and cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap, to avoid a skin forming. Place in the refrigerator to chill.
While your custard is cooling, you can prepare your puff pastry hearts.
Preheat the oven to 400º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set to the side.
Flatten your puff pastry out on to a lightly floured surface or on a piece of parchment paper.
Cut out your hearts using a large cookie cutter. With a smaller heart shaped cookie cutter make an impression in the center of the larger heart. It is not necessary to go all the way through the pastry. Place hearts on the prepared baking sheet.
Beat an egg in a small mixing bowl along with 2 Tablespoons of heavy cream. Brush the tops of the hearts with the egg wash then place in the preheated oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until puffed and golden brown in color. Remove from oven and allow to cool before filling.
To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and pure vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cooled custard until completely combined.
Place the pastry cream in a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Press down the inner heart shape on the puff pastry to flatten slightly. Pipe the pastry cream into the cavity.
Clean strawberries, pinch off the stems then cut them in half from top to bottom. Place strawberry half face down on a cutting board. Cut a V shape out of the top of the strawberry. Place one strawberry half in the cream of each puff pastry heart. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Puff Pastry Hearts
Course: DessertDifficulty: EasyA buttery flaky heart shaped puff pastry the is filled with smooth and creamy pastry cream then topped with a heart shaped strawberry.
Ingredients
1 Box puff pastry
2 Cups milk
1 Cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch of salt
2 1/2 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract, divided
4 Egg yolks
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Cups heavy whipping cream, divided
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
Directions
- Start by preparing the pastry cream. In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt and milk until combined. Bring mixture to a gentle boil, stirring frequently. Once it reaches the gentle boil cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture starts to thicken.
- To a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Using one hand to whisk and one hand to pour, gentle stream about 1 cup of warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, making sure to be whisking in the warm liquid the whole time as to not cook your yolks. Slowly add your tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan and continue cooking over medium heat, whisking constantly until once again the mixture starts to come to a gentle boil and starts to thicken.
- Remove saucepan from heat. Add the 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and stir in the butter one tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition. Pour pastry cream into a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap directly on the cream so that a skin does not form. Place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
- In the meantime you can prepare your pastry hearts. Preheat oven to 400º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set to the side.
Flatten out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface or on a piece of parchment paper. Using a large heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many heart shapes as possible. Using a smaller heart shaped cookie cutter, make an impression in the center of the larger hearts. It is not necessary to cut all the way through the pastry. Place the heart on the prepared baking sheet. - Beat the egg and 2 tablespoons of the heavy whipping cream in a small bowl. Brush the tops of the hearts with the egg wash then place the baking tray in the preheated oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the hearts are puffed and golden brown in color. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before filling.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, place the remaining heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and the remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cooled custard until completely incorporated. Place pastry cream in a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
- Press down on the inner heart shape in each pastry. Pipe a small amount of pastry cream in the center of each heart. Top each one with a heart shaped strawberry ( see note below ). Sprinkle with powdered sugar then serve.
- Enjoy.
Notes
- To make heart shaped strawberries, wash and pinch the stems off each strawberry. Cut strawberries in half from top to bottom. Place each half on a cutting board cut side down. Cut a small V shape from the top of each strawberry creating a heart shape.
