Cherry Envelopes
Not only are these Cherry Envelopes delicious, they are easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser.
Puff pastry is slathered with a sweet cream cheese filling and topped with ripe cherries (pitted, of course) and then folded into an adorable envelope. Sprinkled with coarse sugar, it is a delightful treat!
Serve for brunch, dessert or late night snack!
This easy recipe starts with mixing softened cream cheese and sugar in a small bowl. Set it aside.
Take a sheet of thawed puff pastry and divide it into 4 pieces. You will use three of the pieces to make envelopes (you will repeat this with the second sheet of puff pastry but I like to work with one sheet at a time so that the pastry doesn’t get too warm). The fourth piece from each sheet will be used to make the small shapes to seal the envelope.
Turn the squares so that they are diamond shaped and prick the bottom of each one with a fork. Spread some of the cream cheese over the bottom 2/3’s of the envelope, leaving a thin border all around.
Add 5 or 6 cherries to the middle of the diamond and fold the right and left point of the diamond in toward the middle.
Bring the bottom tip of the diamond up to meet the two middle tips and gently pinch together. Repeat for the other two envelopes.
Use the 4th piece of pastry and cut out 3 small shapes.
Place the cherry envelopes on a parchment-lined sheet pan and brush with the egg wash. Lay a sprig of rosemary over the intersection of the tips of the diamond and press a shape over that, using the egg wash to help seal the envelope.
Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry.
Dab a bit more egg wash over the small shape and then sprinkle coarse sugar over the entire envelope, avoiding the cherries if you can.
Place the sheet pan in a preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is cooked through, golden brown and puffy.
Remove from the sheet pan and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Cherry Envelopes
Makes: 6 pastries
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Bake Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 sheets puff pastry dough, thawed
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 30 ripe cherries, pitted and stemmed
- 1 egg and water for “egg wash”
- Coarse sugar such as Demerara or Turbinado to sprinkle on top of the tarts
- 6 small stems of rosemary
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese with the 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Place one thawed puff pastry sheet onto work surface and cut into 4 equal squares. Turn the square so it has a diamond shape. Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork all over.
Spread cream cheese filling on the bottom 2/3’s of the diamond, leaving 1/2-inch border clean.
Lay 4-6 cherries in the middle of the diamond. Fold the right and left tip of the diamond toward the middle. Then fold the bottom tip up to meet the two middle tips. Secure by lightly pinching the three pieces together.
Repeat this for the second piece of puff pastry, leaving 2 diamonds untouched (you will have 6 envelopes). Use a small scallop, heart, star or round cookie cutter, and cut 6 small shapes out of the remaining 2 pieces of pastry.
Place each “envelope” on a parchment-lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
For the egg wash, beat vigorously an egg and mix it with 1/2 teaspoon of water. With a pastry brush, cover the exposed border of the dough with the egg wash. Lay a rosemary sprig over the intersection of the 3 pieces of each envelope and lay a small shape over the top of that, gently pressing so that the small shape adheres to the envelope. Sprinkle some coarse sugar over the pastry.
Place baking sheet in the oven. Wait 1 minute and then decrease oven temperature to 400°F. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until borders are pretty puffed and golden brown and any visible cream cheese looks set.
Keep an eye on them after the first 10 minutes; each puff pastry brand is different and could take 5 minutes less or 5 minutes more to bake. Look for the visual cues and make sure cherries don’t get burned.
Remove envelopes from baking tray and place tarts in a cooling rack. Let them cool down a bit more before eating.
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