Strawberry Cream Cheese Tart With Puff Pastry Food

STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE TART WITH PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
• Unfold puff pastry sheet and place on prepared baking sheet. Smooth it out with a lightly floured rolling pin if needed.
• Using a sharp knife, score a 1" border around the pastry (be careful not to cut all the way through). Using a fork, stab little holes in the middle. Brush the edges with beaten egg and top with sugar. You can also sprinkle some sugar over the middle section. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Re-score the border and gently press the middle section down to flatten. Let cool completely.
• In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, heavy cream, lemon zest, salt and powdered sugar until smooth. Spread over the center of the cooled puff pastry.
• Place strawberries on top and dust with additional powdered sugar if desired. Serve immediately.

STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE TART

Steps:

• For Crust: Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Place butter in mixer and beat with paddle until soft and light.
• Gradually beat in sugar.
• Beat 5-10 minutes until the mixture is very light and whitened.
• Mix flour in gradually until completely mixed. Don't over beat.
• Gather dough and wrap in plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate about 30 minutes.
• Roll out dough, place a large spring form pan upside down in the middle of the dough and cut roughly ½ inch out from pan.
• Place cookie dough inside pan and bake for 15 minutes.
• Cream Cheese Filling: With wire whisk attachment beat soften cream cheese at highest speed until completely smooth and fluffy.
• Add sugar and vanilla.
• Beat for about 5 more minutes.
• Spread filling on crust, the crust does not have to be completely cooled.
• I start the filling when I pull the crust out of the oven.
• Now cover the top with sliced strawberries.
• Do not add sugar to the strawberries because it makes it to watery.
• Chill and serve!

STRAWBERRY (OR ANY BERRY REALLY) PUFF PASTRY BRAID

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Using an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese and sour cream in a small bowl until fluffy. Add the granulated sugar and whip until well combined, making sure there are no lumps. Reserve for later use.
• Beat the egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl with a fork.
• Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured flat surface. Roll the pastry into a 14-by-12-inch rectangle. Spoon half of the cream cheese mixture lengthwise down the center of the pastry. Cut slits 1 inch apart from the 2 sides of the pastry rectangle within 1/2 inch of the cream cheese mixture. Arrange half of the strawberries down the center of the pastry on top of the cream cheese mixture. Starting at one end, fold the pastry strips over the strawberries on a diagonal, alternating sides, to cover the strawberries. Repeat the entire process with the remaining pastry sheet, cream cheese filling and strawberries. Brush the pastries very lightly with the egg wash (otherwise they won't rise). Sprinkle with the demerara sugar and top with pistachios.
• Bake until golden brown, 30 minutes. Let cool on a rack for about 20 minutes before serving.

RUSTIC BRAIDED STRAWBERRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
• Add the cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar to a bowl and beat together with a hand mixer until light and spreadable.
• In a large bowl, toss together the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the strawberries, flour, cornstarch, vanilla extract and salt, and set aside for later use.
• Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Unroll the puff pastry and roll it out to an 11-by-17-inch rectangle (almost the size of a half sheet tray). Place on the prepared sheet tray and spread the cream cheese down the center of the puff pastry using first a rubber spatula, and then your fingers to evenly spread it out. Spoon the strawberries on top of the cream cheese. Use a knife to cut 1 1/2-inch slits on both sides of the filling, coming within 1/2-inch of the filling. Alternately fold each strip of dough over each other to create a braid. Tuck in the ends and brush the top of the tart with egg wash and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Bake until puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Cool for 25 minutes before serving. Dust with confectioners' sugar to garnish and slice to serve.

CREAM CHEESE AND STRAWBERRY JAM PASTRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220°C.
• Cut pastry into 4 squares and place on a baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper.
• Place a quarter of jam and quarter of cream cheese into centre of each piece of pastry. Don't overfill or it will leak out during cooking.
• Carefully bring the four points together to form a parcel and twist - don't worry too much about small gaps.
• Bake for approx 20 mins or until golden.
• When cool dust with icing sugar.