Having frozen puff pastry sheets in the freezer make a delicious dessert quick and delicious. These easy fresh berry puff pastry tarts are a crisp combination of butter pastry, vanilla pastry cream, and fresh berries.
I cannot pass up a flat of fresh berries at a farmer’s market. Berries are so wonderful to have on hand, but won’t last long even in a refrigerator. These easy fresh berry puff pastry tarts are a quick and refreshing dessert for summer and fall fruits.
Don’t stop at just using berries. Try a variety of peaches, plums, or nectarines. I was lucky enough to snag a basket of red currents at the farmers market to add a burst of tartness to the pastry. What a combination!
How to make easy fresh berry puff pastry tarts
- You will need an assortment of berries, 2 cups of vanilla pastry cream, 1/2 cup whipped cream, and a sheet of frozen puff pastry.
- 1 egg, beaten along with optional sprinkles for the boarder of your pastries. I like to use sliced almonds, pearl sugar, and turbinado sugar.
- Whip cream.
- Fold whipped cream into vanilla pastry cream along with 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract.
- Cover and keep refrigerated until ready to use. Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
- Unroll thawed puff pastry. Keep on the paper that it was rolled up in. Cut into 3 1/2 x 6-inch rectangles, score a 1-inch boarder around each piece of puff pastry and prick the center with a fork several times.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Sprinkle boarders with slice almonds, pearl sugar, or turbinado sugar. Bake in 400F degree oven for 10 – 12 minutes.
- Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack.
- Pipe or spread reserved pastry cream. Top with an assortment of fresh berries. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Best eaten right after they are assembled. The pastry cream will soften the puff pastry soon after.
Don’t pass up on your local farmer’s markets. Be sure to snag some fresh season fruits for a quick and easy puff pastry tarts.
Easy Fresh Berry Pastry Tarts
Pastry made easy using pre-rolled puff pastry, fresh berries, and luscious pastry cream.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh berries
- 2 cups pastry cream
- 1/2 cup whipped cream
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 pkg frozen puff pastry sheet
- 1 egg beaten
- sliced almonds optional
- pearl sugar optional
- turbinado raw sugar optional
- confectioners sugar optional
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
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In a bowl, fold whipped cream and almond extract into pastry cream. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
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Unroll cold puff pastry and keep on the paper that it was rolled in. Cut into 6 squares that are 3 1/2 x 6-inches. Score a 1 inch boarder around each and prick the center with tines of a fork.
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Brush surface of puff pastry with beaten egg. Sprinkle boarder with sliced almonds, pearl sugar, or turbinado sugar. Immediately place in preheated oven and bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and place tarts on a cooling rack. Cool completely.
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Once tarts are completely cooled, pipe or spread pastry cream between the scored boarder. Arrange with an assortment of fresh berries or other fresh fruit. Dust lightly with confectioners sugar. Serve immediately or return pastries to refrigerator. Pastries will hold well for up to 8 hours.
Recipe Notes
- Puff pastry will work better if the pastry is kept very cold.
- The recipe calls for ample pastry cream. There will probably be enough left over for a small bowl of pudding to enjoy with a handful of berries.
- Peaches, plums, and nectarines are just as delicious as berries.
- Use fresh seasonal fruit of any kind.
- Try this recipe for Velvety Vanilla Pastry Cream
- Please note that nutritional facts are approximate.
You might also like to use seasonal fruits in the follow recipes:
I made these for my daughter. She loved them.