Equipment
Ingredients
Pastry Base
- 300 g puff pastry, thawed if frozen, kept very cold
Cream Cheese Filling
- 150 g cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 30 g powdered sugar, sifted
- 30 ml heavy cream, cold
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Topping & Glaze
- 150 g fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 45 g red currant jelly
- 5 ml water
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Lightly grease a 12-hole mini muffin tin.
Unroll the cold puff pastry sheet. Using a 6cm round cutter, stamp out 12 circles and gently press them into the holes of the mini muffin tin to form shallow cups.
Prick the base of each pastry cup thoroughly with a fork to prevent the bottom from puffing up too much during baking.
Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed, golden brown, and crisp.
Remove from the oven. If the centers have puffed up, immediately press them down gently with the back of a teaspoon while the pastry is still hot. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
In a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and cold heavy cream. Beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth, thick, and fluffy.
Spoon or pipe the whipped cream cheese filling evenly into the cooled pastry cups, filling them just below the rim.
Arrange the quartered fresh strawberries neatly on top of the cream cheese filling in each cup.
In a small saucepan, gently heat the red currant jelly and water over low heat, stirring constantly until the jelly has melted and is completely smooth.
Using a pastry brush, lightly dab the warm jelly glaze over the strawberries to give them a glossy shine. Chill the pastry cups for 10 minutes to set the glaze before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Temperature is crucial when working with puff pastry. Keep the dough as cold as possible before it goes into the hot oven to ensure maximum lift and flakiness.
- For the cleanest look, use a piping bag to dispense the cream cheese filling into the cups. It prevents the edges of the delicate pastry from crumbling.
- Red currant jelly is the classic choice for French fruit tarts due to its high pectin content and tart flavor, but apricot jam or apple jelly can be substituted if necessary.
- Do not brush the glaze on while it is boiling hot; allow it to cool for a minute so it doesn't slightly cook or discolor the fresh strawberries.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store in an airtight container. The pastry will gradually lose its crispness in the refrigerator.
