Strawberry Cream Cheese Heart Pastries

I do not recommend freezing these Strawberry Cream Cheese Hearts. They tend to lose their fresh texture and flavor when frozen and thawed.

My puff pastry did not puff, what did I do wrong?

The key to helping puff pastry patties rise is to keep them cold. Be sure to follow the instructions on the puff pastry package for thawing and storing before making these Strawberry Cream Cheese Hearts. Most puff pastry should not be left out of the refrigerator for more than 20 minutes at a time.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Heart Cakes

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay puff pastry sheets on a flat surface and use a large heart cookie cutter to cut 6 heart shapes from each sheet.
Using a smaller heart cookie cutter, cut a small heart from the center of 6 of the larger puff pastry hearts to create a heart outline.
Place the heart outlines on top of the filled hearts and place in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, strawberry gelatin, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Remove the puff pastry hearts from the refrigerator and place 2-3 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each heart. Do not spread the cream cheese mixture, it will melt to the outside once baked.
Slice the strawberries and place 1-3 strawberry slices on top of the cream cheese mixture in each of the flaky hearts, do not press them into the cream cheese.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water to create an egg shake. Using a pastry brush, brush the beaten egg onto each puff pastry. Make sure not to brush the beaten egg over the cream cheese center, just brush it over the exposed phyllo crust.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until the puff pastry has puffed up and is golden.
Once baked, set them aside to cool slightly while you make the frosting.
In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar with the heavy cream until well blended. You can add more sugar or cream to achieve your desired consistency. Drizzle the frosting over the hearts using a spoon or piping bag.
Serve warm or at room temperature.