Strawberries and Cream Valentine Tarts

Aren't these little guys just too adorable?  When my girlfriend came over on Saturday, we dreamed up this delicious little dessert, and I'm so excited to share the recipe with you!

I didn't get a chance to write this up until just now because I've been fairly preoccupied this week, with Bo's mom and her little dogs arriving on Monday afternoon.  It's actually been a fairly smooth transition so far, but I haven't had a roommate in such a long time, that it's going to take some adjusting for us all.  But, I'll admit to playing dirty - I whipped up this recipe for her on Tuesday evening.  Major points right off the bat! :)



Anyway, about these cute little tarts.  The pastry is light enough to not overpower, the cream is the perfect blend of vanilla and Amaretto, and the strawberry topping is perfect for dribbling on your face as you shove these right into your mouth.  They're pretty, quick to make, and just fancy enough to be perfect for your Valentine.

Happy Valentine's (Early)!

          

Strawberries and Cream Valentine Tarts
pastry cream adapted from Joy of Baking

1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough

1/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. water
2 c. sliced strawberries

1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp. sugar
100ml (scant 1/2 c.) cold milk, 2% or whole
2 tsp. flour
2 tsp. corn starch
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. Amaretto, optional

Pastry Hearts:
Thaw pastry dough at room temp for 40 minutes.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly grease a large cookie sheet.  Place sheet of pastry dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Cut with large heart cookie cutter (5") and prick each heart with a fork, to allow steam to vent.  Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating halfway through, until golden.  Allow to cool completely.

Berry Topping:
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and water.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Stir in the berries and return mixture to a boil, lightly mashing the berries to flavor the syrup.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Pastry Cream:
In a medium-sized heatproof bowl, whisk the sugar and egg yolk together. (Do let the mixture sit too long or you will get pieces of egg forming.) Whisk the flour and cornstarch into the egg mixture, mixing until you get a smooth paste.

Meanwhile, in a separate medium saucepan, bring the milk just to boiling (just until milk starts to foam up.) Remove from heat and drizzle slowly into egg mixture, while whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Then pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly until it becomes thick. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in the vanilla and Amaretto. Use immediately or pour into a clean bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming.

To assemble:
Spread pastry cream onto each heart.  Then top with berry slices, arranging to lay flat and overlap toward the bottom of the heart shape.  Drizzle on any remaining strawberry syrup and serve immediately.

         Click here for a printable version of this recipe