These Strawberry Tartlets are so quick to prepare and absolutely delicious! Using store-bought puff pastry, the tarts are topped with a vanilla cream cheese mixture and fresh strawberries. These Mini Strawberry Tarts can be made in advance, and will become your new favourite sweet treat!
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Why we love this recipe:
Flaky, golden puff pastry, sweet cream cheese and a delicious fruit topping - these Strawberry Tartlets are delicious and deceptively simple to prepare!
They take only about 30 minutes - from start to finish, therefore making them perfect if you have guests arrive unexpectedly, or when you are after an easy and delicious sweet treat.
These tartlets are a spin-off from our Mini Plum Tart recipe. There is one main difference with this recipe, however, and that is that the cream cheese mixture and fruit is not baked along with the pastry. That means that these tarts are perfect to make ahead and assemble when required!
Ingredients in this recipe:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
Puff Pastry - my preference is for butter puff pastry, but regular puff pastry is fine also. This is one ingredient I love to keep on hand in the freezer and prefer to buy rather than make from scratch!
Strawberries- fresh strawberries work so well in this recipe. You could absolutely use any berry of your choice, however. Mango or pineapple would also be delicious!
Cream Cheese - smooth and creamy and is delicious in desserts.
Icing/Powdered Sugar - sweetens the cream cheese.
Egg - beaten egg adds shine and colour to baked goods, and gives the Demerara Sugar something to adhere to, which adds a delicious crunch to the edges of the pastry.
Vanilla and Lemon Zest - add delicious flavour to the tarts.
Step by Step Instructions:
You will need to start by pre-heating your oven and ensure that your pastry has defrosted.
- Use a clean ruler to measure and cut 9 equal squares from the sheet of pastry. Mine measured 8cm (3 inches).
- With the tip of a sharp knife, score a square about 1 cm (½ inch) inside the square, but not cutting right through.
- Place the pastry squares onto a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Prick the central square thoroughly with the prongs of a fork to prevent the pastry from rising.
- Brush the outer frame of the pastry with the beaten egg.
- Sprinkle the edges with demerara sugar.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the bottom of the pastry is cooked. Remove from the oven and cool the squares on a baking tray for about 15 minutes before adding the topping.
- In a medium-sized bowl, place the cream cheese, icing/powdered sugar, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Using hand-held electric beaters or a stand mixer, beat until smooth and creamy. If you prefer, you can combine the ingredients by hand - it will just take a little longer.
- Slice the strawberries thinly, and toss in a small bowl along with the caster sugar.
- When ready to serve the Strawberry Tartlets, spread about 1 ½ teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture into the centre of the pastry square.
- Top with slices of strawberry (draining off any liquid) and serve.
Tips for Success and FAQs:
Puff Pastry is a fantastic ingredient to have on hand. Whilst I generally prefer to make things from scratch, I draw the line at puff pastry. I find that the commercial varieties produce an excellent result and they save a great deal of time.
If you buy a roll of pastry, it is generally best to thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Check the directions on the packet. Importantly, ensure that it has thawed before you attempt to unroll it or it will crack.
If you are using sheets of pastry, as I have here, you can thaw them quickly at room temperature. However, whether a roll or a sheet, the pastry must remain cold. When working with more than one sheet, keep what you are not using in the refrigerator.
The pastry should feel cold and slightly bendable and for best results, you must work quickly. If the pastry reaches room temperature, it will wilt and become droopy. Therefore, it will be almost impossible to work with.
They are best enjoyed within 24 hours. We recommend keeping the elements of the dish separate until you are ready to serve, otherwise, the pastry will soften. Store the pastry in an airtight container at room temperature, and the strawberries and cream cheese mixture in the fridge.
More delicious recipes for you to try:
We are big fans of using puff pastry in recipes! It is such a delicious item to have on hand for both sweet and savoury preparations. Try some more of our favourite recipes:
Sweet Recipes:
- Mini Plum Tarts
- Apricot and Cream Cheese Pastries
- Cinnamon Sugar Pinwheels
- Blueberry Tartlets
- Raspberry Tartlets
Savoury Recipes:
- Bacon and Onion Tarts
- Blue Cheese Tarts
- Spinach and Feta Galettes
- Pepperoni Pastries
- Bacon and Egg Galettes
- Mini Bacon and Onion Pasties
- Ham and Cheese Hearts
- Tuna Pinwheels
Enjoy an easy to make dessert with these delicious Strawberry Tartlets! I would love to hear from you when you try them in the comments below!
Alex xx
Strawberry Tartlets
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
Pastry:
- 1 sheet butter puff pastry - 22 ½ cm (9 inch) square See Note 1
- 1 egg - lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoon demerara sugar See Note 2
Cream Cheese Topping:
- 170 g (6 oz) cream cheese - at room temperature
- 3 tablespoon icing/powdered sugar See Note 2
- ½ teaspoon fine lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract See Note 3
Strawberries:
- 1 ½ cups (200 gm) strawberries - about 15
- 2 teaspoon caster/superfine sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C (400 F).
- Use a clean ruler to measure and cut 9 equal squares from the sheet of pastry. Mine measured 8cm (3 inches).
- With the tip of a sharp knife, score a square about 1 cm (½ inch) inside the square, but not cutting right through.
- Place the pastry squares onto a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper.
- Prick the central square thoroughly with the prongs of a fork to prevent the pastry rising.
- Brush the outer frame of the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle with demerara sugar.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the bottom of the pastry is cooked.
- Remove from the oven and cool the squares on a baking tray for about 15 minutes before adding the topping.If the pastry has risen in the centre, gently press it down.
- In a medium-sized bowl, place the cream cheese, icing/powdered sugar, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Using hand-held electric beaters or a stand mixer, beat until smooth and creamy. If you prefer, you can combine the ingredients by hand - it will just take a little longer.
- Thinly slice the strawberries and add to a small bowl, along with the caster sugar and toss to combine. Add more sugar if your strawberries are not sweet. Set the strawberries aside for 10 minutes so they absorb the sugar.
- When ready to serve, spread about 1 ½ teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture into the centre of the pastry square.Top with strawberries, being careful not to add too much liquid, and serve.
Notes
- Our preference is for butter puff pastry - it will produce a superior result. If you are unable to find it, however, regular puff pastry is fine. Always work with cold pastry. If it becomes too warm it will be difficult to work with and you will not achieve the best result. Place the pastry in the refrigerator to re-chill if necessary. See tips for pastry in the main text of the blog post.
- The Australian tablespoon is 20ml or 4 teaspoons. In many other countries, the tablespoon is 15ml or 3 teaspoons. Please adjust your measurement if necessary.
- For the best flavour, use good quality vanilla extract which is naturally produced from the vanilla bean. Avoid those which are synthetically flavoured.
- Please note, the nutritional information is based on one tart. The nutritional information is an estimate only.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Kim says
Yum! Strawberries and cream cheese is a winning combination!
Alexandra says
It sure is delicious! Thank you, Kim!