Mini Strawberry Puff Pastry Braids
These beautiful mini strawberry puff pastry braids are perfect for a breakfast treat, light dessert, or tasty after-school snack.
I stumbled upon these mini strawberry puff pastry braids on White on Rice Couple that looked fun to make and I happened to have all the ingredients. I love that! They take time & patience to make but are the extra effort and taste irresistible with buttery puff pastry braided around a layer of homemade pastry cream and fresh strawberries. These mini puff pastry braids were a lot of fun to make and put big smiles on my teenagers’ faces.
How to Make Mini Strawberry Puff Pastry Braids
Make the pastry cream by heating the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl then add the beaten egg yolks and stir to combine. Side Note: Set the egg whites aside to brush the pastry with before baking.
Once the milk has come to a simmer, remove from the heat and pour 1/3 of the hot milk into the egg/sugar mix, whisking rapidly. Pour the tempered egg/sugar/milk mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk; whisk to combine.
Return the saucepan to the stovetop over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to boil and thickens to a puddling-like consistency. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Pour the pastry cream into a bowl and cover it with parchment/wax paper to prevent a skin from forming. Place in the refrigerator until needed. Side Note: Pastry cream can be kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days when used for baking.
Remove the puff pastry from the freezer and set it aside to thaw.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the thawed puff pastry on a floured surface and roll out to 1/8-inch thick and in a 9-inch by 9-inch square. Side Note: Store-bought puff pastry is often this size for each 1/2 pound section. Trim any edges of the dough to form straight edges, if needed.
Cut the dough in 1/2 lengthwise and 3rds crosswise, so you end up with (six) 4.5-inch x 3-inch rectangles.
Along each rectangle, cut strips about 1 inch long and 1/2 inch wide, making sure to cut all the way through the puff pastry. Repeat with the remaining sheet of puff pastry.
Mix the sliced strawberries with 1-2 tablespoons of sugar, depending on their tartness; toss to evenly coat them.
Spread about 1 tablespoon of pastry cream down the center of each rectangle.
Spoon a layer of strawberries on top of the pastry cream.
Face the puff pastry rectangles so the cut edges are on the left and right. Begin at the bottom, cross one strip over the pastry cream and berries then cross the opposite side strip over the first strip. Continue this alternating left and right, making sure each strip is overlapping the previous side to help lock it in.
Brush each pastry braid with egg wash.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning the baking sheet halfway through baking, until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Top with powdered sugar and serve. Enjoy.
Equipment
Ingredients
Pastry Cream:
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 2 egg yolks **Save the white for the egg wash used before baking
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Mini Strawberry Puff Pastry Braids:
- 1 lb puff pastry **1 box of store-bought = 2 sheets / 1/2 lb each sheet**
- 8 oz strawberries, hulled & cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1-2 tbsp white sugar, depending on the sweetness of the berries
- 1 cup pastry cream
- Powdered sugar, for serving
Instructions
Prepare the Pastry Cream:
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl then add the beaten egg yolks and stir to combine. Side Note: Set the egg whites aside to brush the pastry with before baking.
- Once the milk has come to a simmer, remove from the heat and pour 1/3 of the hot milk into the egg/sugar mix, whisking rapidly.
- Pour the tempered egg/sugar/milk mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk; whisk to combine.
- Return the saucepan to the stovetop over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to boil and thickens to a puddling-like consistency. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Pour the pastry cream into a bowl and cover it with parchment/wax paper to prevent a skin from forming. Place in the refrigerator until needed. Side Note: Pastry cream can be kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days when used for baking.
Prepare the Puff Pastry Braids:
- Remove the puff pastry from the freezer and set it aside to thaw.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the thawed puff pastry on a floured surface and roll out to 1/8-inch thick and in a 9-inch by 9-inch square. Side Note: Store-bought puff pastry is often this size for each 1/2 pound section. Trim any edges of the dough to form straight edges, if needed.
- Cut the dough in 1/2 lengthwise and 3rds crosswise, so you end up with (six) 4.5-inch x 3-inch rectangles.
- Along each rectangle, cut strips about 1 inch long and 1/2 inch wide, making sure to cut all the way through the puff pastry. Repeat with the remaining sheet of puff pastry.
- Mix the sliced strawberries with 1-2 tablespoons of sugar, depending on their tartness; toss to evenly coat them.
- Spread about 1 tablespoon of pastry cream down the center of each rectangle.
- Spoon a layer of strawberries on top of the pastry cream.
- Face the puff pastry rectangles so the cut edges are on the left and right. Begin at the bottom, cross one strip over the pastry cream and berries then cross the opposite side strip over the first strip. Continue this alternating left and right, making sure each strip is overlapping the previous side to help lock it in.
- Brush each pastry braid with egg wash.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning the baking sheet halfway through baking, until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Top with powdered sugar and serve. Enjoy.
They look so FRESH and delicious with strawberries!
These pastries look luscious.
I know I would love these as a breakfast treat!