Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese Tarts
Okay…can these Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese Tarts be any cuter? This is the perfect treat to serve for the holidays, either at the end of the meal for dessert or for brunch the next morning. Or both! Who cares…just make them and serve them!
Using frozen puff pastry sheets makes these super-easy. You can cut heart shapes like I did, but a pumpkin or leaf shape would be adorable as well!
The fillings are also quick and simple. A pumpkin mixture of brown sugar and winter spices is the bottom layer and a cream cheese and sugar mixture gets piped on top of the pumpkin. Like I said, easy peasy!
Make the two fillings. Mix the pumpkin purée, dark brown sugar, flour, spices and lemon juice together. Add the egg yolk and mix well. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix softened cream cheese along with sugar, confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice. Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a pastry bag of a ziplock bag with a corner cut off bottom.
With slightly thawed puff pastry, cut it into the shape you prefer. Use a smaller cookie cutter to cut a shallow border about 1/2-inch inside the shape. Don’t cut it all of the way through. Use a fork to poke holes in the inside shape. This will keep the interior from puffing up. Don’t poke all the way through.
Use a spoon and fill the center of the heart with a tablespoon or two of pumpkin filling. Then pipe a bit of the cream cheese mixture on top of that, leaving about 1/4-inch border so that the pumpkin shows.
Use a pastry brush to coat the exposed puff pastry with an egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake for 15 minutes or so, until the pastry is golden brown.
You can sprinkle confectioners’ sugar on them once they are cool or dip in salted caramel sauce. Salted caramel ice cream would also be an amazing addition!
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Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese Tarts
Makes: 6-8 tarts
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry sheet
- 1/3 cup pumpkin purée
- 3 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- a pinch allspice
- 1 tsp lemon juice, divided
- 1 egg yolk (reserve egg white for egg wash)
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
- Demerara, turbinado, or decorator’s sugar to cover the borders (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a sheet of parchment paper over a large baking sheet. Place the frozen puff pastry over the parchment paper.
In a bowl, mix the pumpkin purée, dark brown sugar, flour, fine sea salt, cinnamon, ginger, pinch of all-spice, and 1/2 teaspoon of the lemon juice. Add the egg yolk and mix well.
Whisk the egg white with a little bit of water (about ¼ teaspoon) until foamy and keep it in the fridge.
In another bowl, mix the softened cream cheese, sugar, confectioner’s sugar, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice. Transfer the mixture to a large pastry bag or a ziplock bag and slit open the tip.
When the puff pastry has slightly thawed (do not let it thaw completely beforehand), cut it with a heart-shaped (or your favorite shape) cookie cutter, or cut it into squares.
Using a smaller cookie cutter of the same shape, or a paring knife, cut a shallow border of about ½ inch (making sure you don’t cut all the way through). Using a fork, gently poke the inside of the dough without piercing it all the way down.
Using a spoon, fill the center with about 1 to 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of the pumpkin filling. Pipe a bit of the cream cheese mixture on top, leaving about 1/4-inch of border clear so the pumpkin filling stays slightly exposed.
Using a pastry brush, coat the exposed border of the pastry with the egg wash. Sprinkle coarse sugar over the borders if using.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the filling looks set. Let them cool down on the baking sheet before serving.
You may dust extra confectioner’s sugar on top, dip them in homemade salted caramel sauce, or serve with salted caramel ice cream.
Recipe by Dev Amadeo
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