Cream Cheese Puff Pastry
This Cream Cheese Puff Pastry is so easy to make and absolutely delicious! You can make it with any fruits, berries, jam or just the cream cheese filling.
Servings 12 pastries
Calories 230kcal
Ingredients
Puff Pastry
- 2 sheets puff pastry store-bought, or homemade recipe here
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened 226 grams
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 grams
- 1 large yolk
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
To assemble
- berries, jam, or any fruits
Egg wash
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup coarse sugar
To serve
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar 62.5 grams
- 1 tbsp milk
Instructions
Puff Pastry
- Thaw the puff pastry sheet. You can let it sit at room temperature for 30 min to 1 hour until softened. Or wrap each sheet in paper towels and microwave for 15 seconds on each side. It’s ready to be used when you can easily unfold it.
- Pre-heat the oven to 375ºF.
Cream Cheese Filling
- In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat the cream cheese with the sugar for 2 minutes on medium speed. You can also use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat again until combined. To assemble
To assemble
- Unfold each pastry sheet.
- Cut each into 6 rectangles.
- Place the rectangles on top of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat.
- Score a smaller rectangle on the center of the pastry using a sharp knife or a pastry cutter. But don’t cut all the way through.
- Pipe or spoon a couple of tablespoons of filling in the center of the pastry.
- Top with berries, or a teaspoon of jam, or leave the cream cheese filling by itself.
Egg wash
- Whisk the egg to form the egg wash. Brush on top of the pastry around the edges. Top with coarse sugar.
Baking
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pastry is a deep golden brown and puffed.
- If you under bake, the center of the pastry will be raw, which is why I recommend baking this pastry at 375 and not 400 Fahrenheit, and baking for longer this way the center has a chance to cook.
- Let the pastry cool down for about 10 or 15 minutes.
Glaze
- Mix the powdered sugar and milk until it has a thick but runny consistency. If the glaze is too runny, add a bit more powdered sugar. And if the glaze is not dripping, add a little bit more milk, about 1/2 tsp at a time. A little liquid goes a long way, just make sure to whisk well.
- Leave the glaze covered, or it will form a crust. If you don’t drizzle it over the pastries immediately after making the glaze, it will start to get thicker and you may have to add a splash of milk to get it to the proper consistency again.
To serve
- You can drizzle the glaze over the pastries using a spoon. Scoop a bit of glaze with a spoon and simply move the spoon side to side on top of the pastry as the glaze drips.
- Instead of the glaze, you can sprinkle powdered sugar on top of the pastry and serve.
Storage
- You can store the pastry in the fridge for up to 2 days. To re-heat, place in a toaster oven for a few minutes, or in the 350ºF oven for 5 to 10 minutes until warm on the inside.
Notes
Lemon juice: Don’t skip the lemon juice. The filling won’t taste like lemon. The lemon simply helps with the tanginess of the filling, and also helps it become creamy by acting with the cream cheese to coagulate. I highly recommend you don’t skip the lemon juice.
Lemon zest: If you do want this filling to taste like lemon, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon zest to it.
Berries: You can use raspberries, blueberries, just make sure they are small. To use larger berries such as strawberries, either chop the berries, or make the pastries larger.
Make ahead: You can assemble these Cream Cheese Puff Pastries ahead of time, and then freeze them to bake later. When freezing the pastries, don’t brush the egg wash on top until you are ready to bake. Then, when you are ready to bake, remove them from the freezer and place them on top of a sheet pan, brush the egg wash on top, and bake in the pre-heated oven until puffed and golden brown.
Homemade puff pastry: here is a homemade puff pastry dough recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1pastry | Calories: 230kcal