Cranberry Cream Cheese Pastries (Printable Version)
Flaky puff pastries with tangy cranberry sauce and creamy cheese filling, ideal for festive occasions.
# What You Need:
→ Pastry
01 - 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (approximately 8.8 oz)
02 - 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
→ Cream Cheese Filling
03 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
04 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
05 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Cranberry Sauce
06 - 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
07 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
08 - 1 tablespoon orange juice
09 - 1 teaspoon orange zest
10 - Pinch of salt
→ Optional Topping
11 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (for dusting)
# How-To:
01 - Heat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and salt in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst and mixture thickens, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
03 - In a bowl, blend cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
04 - On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry into a 10x10 inch square. Cut into 8 equal rectangles.
05 - Place rectangles on the prepared baking sheet. Spoon 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture onto the center of each, then top with 1 tablespoon of cranberry sauce.
06 - Fold corners of each rectangle toward the center and pinch lightly to seal, or leave open for a rustic appearance.
07 - Brush the pastries gently with the beaten egg.
08 - Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown and puffed.
09 - Allow pastries to cool slightly, then dust lightly with powdered sugar if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- These come together in under 40 minutes, which means you can pull them from the oven warm and straight to the table.
- The contrast of tangy cranberries against creamy cheese and buttery pastry is genuinely addictive, and people always ask for the recipe.
02 -
- Don't skip letting the cranberry sauce cool completely before filling—warm sauce will melt into the pastry and make them soggy.
- The corners need only gentle pressure to seal; you're not making dumplings, and overworking the pastry toughens it.
03 -
- Room temperature puff pastry is your friend—it won't crack or fight you when you roll and cut it, and it rises more evenly in the oven.
- A sharp knife makes clean cuts without compressing the delicate layers of pastry, which helps them puff dramatically.