With the current issue of Berks County Living highlighting travel, and with Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, I needed a little bit of sweet inspiration. Chef Diana Penn was my first call and I was tickled she was on board to share a recipe. Diana is a certified executive pastry chef and a member of the American Culinary Federation. She celebrates the beauty in simplicity but builds glamour creations as well.
I made the Pastry Hearts and Cream for family and friends and they swooned. It has the perfect WOW factor yet is so simple to prepare. I served it as dessert but suggest you enjoy it as a decadent breakfast. Prepare the pastry cream as an extra something special or serve with just the berries and cream.
As if you need another reason to get to know Chef Penn, she has been teaching Baking and Pastry Arts for 7 years and has been in the baking industry for more than 25 years. She is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and the Institute of Culinary Education. Diana was recently recognized by NOCTI and received the Carl J. Schaefer Memorial Award for excellence in Career and Technology Education. Did you know we had such a gem living here in Berks? Well, now the world knows!
Pastry Hearts and Cream
Recipe and Photo Collage by Chef Diana Penn
Makes 2-8 servings
Ingredients:
Puff Pastry Hearts
- 1 box frozen puff pastry dough, thawed overnight in the refrigerator
- 1 egg, beaten
- flour, for sprinkling
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1/2 pint heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon orange liquor
Strawberries
- 2 cups strawberries, stems removed
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 fluid ounces orange liquor or peach schnapps
Tools You’ll Need:
- 2 heart-shaped cookie cutters, one smaller than the other
- Fork, for docking puff pastry & whisking egg wash
- Pastry brush, for egg wash
- Bowl
- Whisk for whipping whipped cream
Directions:
- Preheat toaster oven or oven to 400 degrees.
- Line sheet tray with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Make Puff Pastry Hearts
- Gently unfold the sheet of puff pastry and place on a lightly flour dusted work surface.
- Using the larger cookie cutter, cut out two hearts.
- Use the fork and dock holes (gently prick with fork) into ONE of the heart cut outs. This will be your BASE.
- Brush the docked hearts with egg wash.
- Use the smaller heart cookie cutter to cut out a smaller heart shape from the SECOND heart.
- Lay the SECOND heart on top of the egg washed FIRST heart.
- After you've made as many hearts as you wish, brush the top of the hearts with egg wash and bake until golden brown. (Puff pastry can be baked in either the oven or toaster oven. Puff pastry should be baked hot and with air/convection if possible.)
Make Whipped Cream
- Pour heavy cream, sugar, vanilla and orange liquor in a bowl.
- Whisk by hand (or whip by machine) until soft peaks form. Keep chilled.
Slice and soak the Strawberries
- Slice strawberries small enough so they fit in into the baked puff pastry cups.
- Sprinkle the strawberries with sugar and orange liquor. Toss to coat. Allow strawberries to soak and create some natural juices for about 20 minutes before assembling.
Assemble the cups
- Push in the centers of puff pastry cups to fit a good amount of strawberries and whipped cream into the cups.
- Spoon strawberries into hollowed out puff pastry cups.
- Spoon a small amount of sweetened whipped cream onto the slices strawberries. Repeat and finish with one more scoop of strawberries.
Pastry Cream
By Chef Diana Penn
Makes approximately 4-6 cups
Ingredients:
- 16 ounces milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Optional: 1/4 bean vanilla bean
- 2 eggs
- 2 eggs yolks
- 1 ounce (3 tablespoons) cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 stick (1 ounce) butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons orange flavored liquor or peach schnapps
Tools You’ll Need:
- Wire whisk
- Rubber spatula
- 2 bowls
- Heat source
- Plastic wrap
- Ice bath (one small bowl sitting over a larger bowl with approximately 3/4 ice and 1/4 water).
Directions:
- Over medium heat, in a small stainless saucepan, heat the milk and 1/4 cup sugar until the milk starts to steam (sugar should be dissolved at this point).
- Turn burner off.
- Whisk together the eggs and yolks then add the eggs TO the sugar and cornstarch. Whisk until smooth and evenly combined.
- While whisking, pour (or ladel) 2/3 of the steamed milk INTO the bowl of eggs/starch.
- While whisking return the milk/eggs/starch mixture back to the small sauce pan. Turn burner back to medium and whisk until mixture thickens and boils at least 8 visible eruptions.
- Pour pastry cream into waiting ice bath and stir in the butter, vanilla and orange liquor.
- Cover the surface with plastic wrap so a skin doesn't form. Chill well before use.
