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The first thing you need to do is take your puff pastry out of the freezer and let it thaw on your kitchen counter for about 20 to 30 minutes. You want it to be soft enough to unfold without breaking but still cold to the touch so the butter inside does not melt before it hits the oven. While you wait for the pastry to thaw go ahead and preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit which is the perfect temperature to make the pastry puff up high.
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper so that the sugar in the jam does not stick to the metal and cause a mess during the baking process. Once the pastry is ready unfold the sheets onto a lightly floured surface and use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to slice each sheet into squares. You should aim for squares that are about 2 inches wide which will give you roughly 12 to 15 bites per sheet of pastry.
Place the pastry squares onto the prepared baking sheets leaving about an inch of space between each one so the air can circulate and help them grow. Take a small spoon and place a dollop of the softened cream cheese right in the very center of each square of dough. Try to keep the cream cheese in the middle so it does not run off the edges when it gets warm in the oven.
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Now take your apricot preserves and place a small spoonful directly on top of the cream cheese dollop on every square. The orange jam should sit like a little hat on top of the white cheese which looks very pretty even before it is cooked. If the jam is too thick you can stir it in the jar for a minute to loosen it up and make it easier to scoop.
Slide your baking sheets into the hot oven and bake them for about 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges of the pastry are a deep golden brown. You will see the pastry rise up around the filling to create a little cup that holds the cheese and fruit perfectly in place. The smell of the butter and the bubbling fruit will be absolutely incredible at this stage of the process.
Carefully remove the sheets from the oven and let the bites cool on the tray for at least 5 to 10 minutes before you try to eat them. The jam will be very hot and can burn your tongue if you are too impatient so give it a moment to set and firm up. You can serve them just as they are or you can move them to a pretty serving platter to show off your hard work to your guests.
Why This Recipe Is Special
This recipe is special because it uses very few ingredients to achieve a complex flavor that usually takes much longer to build from scratch. The puff pastry provides a light and airy base that is full of buttery goodness which pairs perfectly with the dense and smooth texture of the cream cheese. From a health perspective using apricot preserves is a nice way to get a bit of fruit into your dessert while the cream cheese provides a small amount of calcium and protein. Because these are small individual portions they are much easier to manage if you are trying to be mindful of how much sugar you eat in one sitting.
The taste is a wonderful mix of savory and sweet which is why people often find it hard to stop at just one bite. The tanginess of the cheese cuts through the sweetness of the jam and the richness of the pastry so your palate never gets bored. It is also a very forgiving recipe that allows you to feel like a successful baker even if you have never turned on an oven before in your life. This success builds confidence in the kitchen which might inspire you to try even more complex recipes in the future.
Extra Tips for Better Taste
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