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Prepared with mascarpone cream, homemade jam, and fresh thyme leaves, these strawberry puff pastry hearts make a delightful Valentine’s Day brunch treat, or a lovely mascarpone strawberry dessert!
What’s Great About These Strawberry Puff Pastry Hearts?
Most Valentine’s Day treats focus on chocolates, cookies, cakes, and sweets. This year, I thought it might be fun to switch things up with a recipe featuring fresh fruit, herbs, and mascarpone cheese.
Inspired by summer peach pastries, this heart shaped puff pastry treat makes a perfect addition to any Valentine’s Day breakfast or brunch. Featuring a store-bought puff pastry base topped with strawberry jam, mascarpone cream, and fresh thyme, these strawberry puff pastry hearts remind me of the fruit-and-cheese danishes often found on pastry trays at catered breakfasts and corporate functions, but oh so much better.
Strawberry Puff Pastry Tips and Tricks
To make my hearts, I used this heart-shaped Ann Clark cutter, which measures 12.7 centimeters (about 5 inches). It’s fine if your cutter is a bit larger. I don’t recommend a smaller cutter, as you won’t have enough room to fill your pastries.
If you don’t have a heart-shaped cutter, you can use a round cutter instead. Or, you can simply use a knife or scissors to cut your pastry into squares. Any shape will work!
To kee things simple, I chose to use pre-made puff pastry for this puff pastry recipe with strawberries. But, feel free to use homemade puff pastry if you’re feeling ambitious, or if you happen to have some on hand!
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
You can prepare the strawberry jam up to 48 hours in advance, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the hearts.
Due to the combination of fruit and cream, these pastries are best enjoyed on the day they are made. I recommend preparing them no more than a few hours before you intend to serve, so the pastry remains crisp and flaky. They’re especially delicious while still slightly warm.
If you do have leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container, layered between sheets of parchment. They’ll still be edible the next day, but the pastry will be soft.
Strawberry Jam Tips and Subsitutions
This recipe includes a homemade strawberry-thyme jam. I made mine with fresh strawberries, but frozen berries will also work nicely for this recipe.
If you don’t have the time to make homemade jam, or don’t have any strawberries on hand, you can use a store-bought jam for this puff pastry hearts recipe instead. You can also substitute raspberries or cherries if strawberries just aren’t your “jam!”
Checking for Thread Stage
When preparing your homemade strawberry jam, you want to make sure that thread stage has been reached. You can do this by with a simple manual test.
Spoon a small amount of the strawberry mixture onto a plate and allow it to cool slightly. Place the mixture between your thumb and forefinger and pull your fingers apart. If the sugar syrup creates a strand, or “thread,” it is ready to use. If not, continue cooking it a little bit longer.
More Valentine’s Day recipes you might enjoy:
Strawberry Marshmallow Hearts
Valentine’s Day Parfait
Strawberry Peppermint Patties
Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries
White Chocolate Valentine’s Day Bark
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!
Strawberry Puff Pastry Hearts
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 5" heart pastries 1x
Description
Strawberry puff pastry hearts made with homemade jam. These heart shaped puff pastry treats make a lovely mascarpone strawberry dessert!
Ingredients
Strawberry Jam:
330 grams strawberries (about 3 cups), hulled and diced
55 grams caster sugar (1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (2–3 sprigs)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Mascarpone Cream:
225 grams mascarpone cheese (8-ounce container)
1 egg
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Pastries:
1 sheet pre-made puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200° C / 390° F. Line two baking trays with parchment or silicone baking mats, and set aside until ready to use.
Strawberry Jam:
Combine diced strawberries and sugar in a small saucepan. Simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, or until berries begin to break down.
Add thyme leaves and simmer 5-10 minutes further, until thread stage* is reached.
Remove jam from heat and stir in lemon juice. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool completely.
Mascarpone Cream:
While jam is cooling, prepare the mascarpone cream. In a mixing bowl, combine mascarpone cheese, egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla bean paste, and whisk until smooth and creamy. Set cream aside until ready to use.
Assembly:
Unroll pre-made puff pastry. Using a pastry cutter, cut pastry into 6-8 hearts* and discard any scraps.
Transfer hearts to prepared trays.
Spread a layer of mascarpone cream on each heart, allowing a 1/2 inch border around the edges. Top mascarpone with a spoonful of strawberry jam.
With a pastry brush, lightly brush the pastry border with egg wash, then fold the edges inward. Brush the folded edge with more egg wash.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the pastry is flaky and golden brown. Allow pastries to cool. If desired, garnish with a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves.
Serve immediately.
Notes
*See notes on thread stage above
**I used this heart-shaped Ann Clark cutter, which measures 12.7 centimeters (about 5 inches). It’s fine if your cutter is a bit larger. I don’t recommend a smaller cutter, as it won’t leave enough room to fill your pastries.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Turnovers and Hand Pies
- Method: Stovetop + Oven
- Cuisine: Breakfast and Brunch