Go Back

Strawberry Puff Pastry Cups

Combine fresh strawberries, sugar, cornstarch and water in a blender. Blast. Heat the mixture and boil it for 2 minutes. Put it in the refrigerator to chill. Cook the puff pastry cups, and while they are cooking chop up strawberries into small pieces until you have a cup. Mix the chopped berries and 1 cup of the chilled strawberry "jam". Poke in the top of the puff pastry to form the cup. Fill the cups. Garnish as desired with whipped cream, chocolate, powdered sugar or sifted cocoa.
Course Dessert
Servings 24

Ingredients
  

  • 24 oz fresh strawberries
  • 1 cups package of puff pastry (In the freezer section by phyllo sheets)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 1/2 T cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cups package phyllo pastry
  • whipped topping
  • powdered sugar for garnish optional
  • powdered cocoa for garnish optional
  • 1 T melted chocolate or Nutella for garnish optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400
  • Clear a space in your refrigerator large enough put the wire cooling rack if you are going to "store" the puff pastry cups for use later in the day.
  • Remove stems/leaves from 16 oz strawberries and combine them with 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, 3 1/2 T cornstarch and 1/4 tsp salt in your blender. Blast until it becomes a liquid.
  • Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and heat. Stir constantly. Boil for 2 minutes. It will turn dark red and thick. If you don't stir it, the bubbles will pop and splatter all over your stove and you risk burning both the sauce and yourself.
  • This yields about 1 - 1/2 cups thick strawberry goo. (Also suitable for a chilled pie filling.) Transfer it to the refrigerator to cool.
  • Cook the puff pastry cups at 400 for 20 minutes. Cook them with the circle and 2 dots side up. Check them at the 10-minute mark. Rotate 180 if your oven has a hot spot. The cups don't need to be thawed first, like phyllo pastry sheets.
  • Remove the cups from the oven, and while they are still on the cookie sheet, carefully depress the center. The end of a wooden spoon is perfect for this. You are making the "cup". You can also remove the "lid" of this center with the tip of a knife. This maneuver yields a bigger cup. And who doesn't like a bigger cup?
  • Transfer cups to a wire cooling rack and let them cool for 10 minutes.
  • While the puff pastry cups are cooking, chop the remaining strawberries into smallish pieces (think salsa size) until you have a cup of berries.
  • Combine these chopped berries with 1 cup of the strawberry goo.
  • Carefully fill the cups with about a teaspoon of the chopped strawberry/strawberry goo mixture.
  • Garnish with whipped topping, powdered sugar, powdered cocoa, melted chocolate or Nutella, crushed pretzels ...

Notes

You will have about a cup of the strawberry goo left over. Use on ice cream, bread, throw a few tablespoons into a smoothie, dip chocolate in it, put it on a biscuit or shortcake ...