Ingredients:
- 6 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 pkg. frozen puff pastry, 2 sheets, thawed
- 1 1/2 cups fresh fruit, seasonal or your favorite
- 1 large egg white with 1 Tbsp. water
- Sanding sugar
- Optional: ⅓ cup vanilla icing, slightly microwaved warmed
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat the cream cheese with the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract until creamy.
- Unfold the puff pastry sheets onto a lightly floured work surface. Lightly roll the pastry with a rolling pin to seal the perforations. Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter or drinking glass, cut out four circles from each sheet of puff pastry.
- Transfer four pastry circles onto each baking sheet, spacing the circles about 2 inches apart. Lightly score a circular border 1/4-inch from the edges then prick the centers of each pastry with a fork.
- Spread a portion of the cream cheese mixture inside the border of each pastry then top the cream cheese with fruit.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg white and water. Brush the edges of the pastries with the egg wash then sprinkle them with the sanding sugar. Bake the pastries for 15 to 18 minutes or until they’re golden and puffed.
- Remove the pastries from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Drizzle with vanilla icing if desired.
