Mascarpone Peach Puff Pastry Recipe
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Featuring flaky puff pastry, creamy mascarpone cheese, sliced peaches, honey, and leaves of fresh thyme, this rustic mascarpone peach puff pastry recipe is one of my favorite recipes for breakfast or brunch. They make a lovely dessert, too, especially if served warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
Why Make This Mascarpone Peach Puff Pastry Recipe?
I always look forward to peach season in the summertime. Canned or frozen peaches work just fine for crisps and smoothies, but when it comes to baking, absolutely nothing compares to a fresh, ripe, juicy peach. (I love using peaches in all kinds of recipes, from simple poached peaches to more complex dishes like this peach and goat cheese pizza.) These simple peach and mascarpone pastries remind me of fruit-and-cheese Danishes, but better. Finished with a drizzle of honey, a sprinkling of thyme leaves, and a dusting of confectioner’s sugar, they’re perfect for a lazy weekend brunch, a rustic dessert (paired with vanilla ice cream, of course), or a mid-afternoon snack.
Ingredients for Making Mascarpone Peach Pastries
- Mascarpone Cheese – Mascarpone is a soft, smooth Italian cheese, similar to cream cheese but with a mildly sweet flavor. It’s sold in plastic containers. To find it, look in the Italian cheese or “fine cheeses” section of the supermarket, rather than in the case with cream cheese and cheese spreads.
- Egg – You’ll need one egg to thicken the mascarpone filling, and a second to egg wash the pastry. Egg-washing gives the pastry its golden brown color—for a deeper shade of brown, brush with the yolk only.
- Lemon – For this recipe, you’ll only need the zest, finely zested on a Microplane. (The pieces produced by a box grater are too big to blend easily into the cheese.) Save the juice to make homemade lemon curd.
- Vanilla Bean Paste – I love the combination of vanilla and peach, especially in desserts. (These vanilla poached peaches and this vanilla peach granita are great examples!) In this recipe, vanilla bean paste, or the scrapings of a vanilla pod, flavor the mascarpone filling. Extract will also work, but avoid cheap imitation vanilla flavorings.
- Peaches – Select four ripe yellow peaches. Peel, pit, then use a sharp chef’s knife to slice each peach into 1/4-inch thick slices. Keep the slices even in size so they’re easy to layer in clean, neat rows.
- Thyme – A sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves adds a pop of green color and a fresh, herbal note. Use fresh thyme leaves for this recipe. Do not use dried thyme, which lacks the flavor and visual appeal of fresh herbs.
- Honey – Choose a good-tasting honey, for drizzling. You can also experiment with other sweet drizzles, like hot honey, maple syrup, or homemade ginger simple syrup.
- Confectioner’s Sugar – Totally optional, but I like to sift a dusting of powdery white confectioner’s sugar (icing sugar) over the finished pastries for a pretty finishing touch. Do this just prior to serving—after a few minutes, the sugar will dissolve into the moist fruit and cheese filling.
Peach and Mascarpone Pastries
- Total TimeAbout 1 hour
- Yield8 6-inch pastries 1x
Flaky puff pastry filled with creamy mascarpone cheese, topped with fresh peach slices, honey, and thyme.
Ingredients
Mascarpone Filling:
225 grams mascarpone cheese (8-ounce container), softened
1 large egg, at room temperature
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Pastries:
2 sheets puff pastry, thawed according to package directions if frozen
1 large egg, beaten with a fork
4 ripe peaches, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Honey, for drizzling
Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425° F (218° C). Line 2 half sheet rimmed baking trays with parchment or silicone baking mats.
In a medium bowl, whisk mascarpone cheese, egg, lemon zest, and vanilla bean paste until smooth and creamy.
Unroll puff pastry on a silicone rolling mat or lightly floured countertop. With a sharp chef’s knife, trim to 10 x 10 inches square.
Slice pastry corner-to-corner, forming 4 triangles. Repeat with the second sheet of pastry for 8 triangles total.
Arrange on prepared trays.
Spoon mascarpone filling in the middle of each triangle. Spread with a small stepped palette knife or the back of a spoon, allowing 1 1/2-inch border around the edge.
Arrange peach slices on top of the mascarpone.
With a pastry brush, lightly brush the pastry border with beaten egg, then fold the edges inward. Brush the folded edge with more of the beaten egg.
With kitchen shears, trim away any long pieces of pastry.
Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, rotating trays halfway through. Continue baking until pastry turns flaky and golden brown, with cheese and peach juice bubbling around the edges.
Cool on trays. Before serving, drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with thyme leaves and dust with confectioner’s sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature, accompanied by whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Wrap leftover peach pastries in foil. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Notes
Recipe can be halved or doubled.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Turnovers and Hand Pies
- Method: Oven
Serving Peach and Mascarpone Pastries
For breakfast or bunch, arrange the warm pastries on a wooden presentation board alongside other sweet brunch bakes like apple turnovers, blueberry and lemon poppyseed muffins, blackberry pastries, and raspberry twist bread. Garnish with fresh fruit and sprigs of fresh thyme for a pretty finishing touch. To serve as a dessert, plate each pastry individually and serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, or top with an extra drizzle of honey, a dusting of with confectioner’s sugar, and a scattering of fresh thyme.
Other Puff Pastry Recipes You Might Enjoy
Strawberry Puff Pastry Hearts
Apple Turnovers
Mixed Berry Hand Pies
Apple Galette with Puff Pastry
Strawberry Nutella Puff Pastry Pizza
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
