Cream Cheese Strawberry Braided Pastry Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
• Add the cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar to a bowl and beat together with a hand mixer until light and spreadable.
• In a large bowl, toss together the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the strawberries, flour, cornstarch, vanilla extract and salt, and set aside for later use.
• Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Unroll the puff pastry and roll it out to an 11-by-17-inch rectangle (almost the size of a half sheet tray). Place on the prepared sheet tray and spread the cream cheese down the center of the puff pastry using first a rubber spatula, and then your fingers to evenly spread it out. Spoon the strawberries on top of the cream cheese. Use a knife to cut 1 1/2-inch slits on both sides of the filling, coming within 1/2-inch of the filling. Alternately fold each strip of dough over each other to create a braid. Tuck in the ends and brush the top of the tart with egg wash and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Bake until puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Cool for 25 minutes before serving. Dust with confectioners' sugar to garnish and slice to serve.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Using an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese and sour cream in a small bowl until fluffy. Add the granulated sugar and whip until well combined, making sure there are no lumps. Reserve for later use.
• Beat the egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl with a fork.
• Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured flat surface. Roll the pastry into a 14-by-12-inch rectangle. Spoon half of the cream cheese mixture lengthwise down the center of the pastry. Cut slits 1 inch apart from the 2 sides of the pastry rectangle within 1/2 inch of the cream cheese mixture. Arrange half of the strawberries down the center of the pastry on top of the cream cheese mixture. Starting at one end, fold the pastry strips over the strawberries on a diagonal, alternating sides, to cover the strawberries. Repeat the entire process with the remaining pastry sheet, cream cheese filling and strawberries. Brush the pastries very lightly with the egg wash (otherwise they won't rise). Sprinkle with the demerara sugar and top with pistachios.
• Bake until golden brown, 30 minutes. Let cool on a rack for about 20 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220°C.
• Cut pastry into 4 squares and place on a baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper.
• Place a quarter of jam and quarter of cream cheese into centre of each piece of pastry. Don't overfill or it will leak out during cooking.
• Carefully bring the four points together to form a parcel and twist - don't worry too much about small gaps.
• Bake for approx 20 mins or until golden.
• When cool dust with icing sugar.

Steps:

• In a food processor or blender, puree the strawberries until smooth.
• Pour the strawberry puree through a sieve into a medium bowl to remove any seeds and clumps. Chill for 15 minutes, until the puree is cold.
• In a separate large bowl, beat the cream cheese and ½ cup (80 g) of powdered sugar together with an electric hand mixer. Mix in the milk and strawberry puree. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk the beaten egg and water together. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C).
• Roll a foot-long (30 cm) piece of aluminum foil into a tube. Repeat with 3 more pieces of foil to make 4 tubes total.
• On a cutting board, roll the puff pastry out to 13 inches (33 cm) by 13 inches (33 cm). Slice the puff pastry lengthwise into 1½ inch-wide (4 cm) strips.
• Wrap 2 of the strips around a foil tube, brushing the edges with egg wash and gently pressing together to adhere. Repeat with the remaining pastry strips and foil tubes.
• Balance the ends of the foil tubes over the edges of a roasting pan or baking sheet so the pastry isn't touching the surface of the pan. Brush egg wash all over the pastry spirals.
• Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown.
• Let the pastry tubes rest at room temperature for 5 minutes. Gently remove the foil tubes. Transfer the pastry tubes to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 5 more minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
• Fill a piping bag or zip-top bag fitted with a round tip with the cream cheese mixture. Pipe the cream cheese filling into the pastry tubes.
• Dust with powdered sugar and drizzle with chocolate syrup.
• Enjoy!