Puff Pastry Fruit Tarts with Ricotta Cream Filling

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (380g) whole milk ricotta cheese, strained*
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
• 3/4 cup (90g) powdered sugar, divided
• 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Fresh blueberries, raspberries or strawberries
• Fresh mint, for garnish (optional)

• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry (17.3 oz total)
• 1 large egg mixed with 1 Tbsp water
• 1 1/2 Tbsp (19g) granulated sugar

Directions

• For the filling:
• Whip heavy cream in a medium mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer set on high speed until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and whip until stiff peaks form, set aside. In a separate medium mixing bowl whip cream cheese until fluffy, about 1 minute on high speed. Add remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until combine. Add ricotta and whip until fluffy, about 1 minute longer. Fold in whipped cream mixture. Cover and chill through. Keep chilled until ready to serve pastries (use within the day for best results).
• For the pastries:
• Thaw puff pastry about 20 – 30 minutes (it should still be cold, don’t thaw entirely through it should hold a fairly stiff shape). Preheat oven to 400 degrees about halfway through thawing puff pastry. Unfold dough then cut each sheet into 9 squares (I used the folds as a guide cutting those into strips, then from there each strip the into thirds). Without cutting all the way through the dough, cut a square inside of each pastry square, coming about 1/2-inch from the edge on all sides. Transfer pastries to two 18 by 13-inch baking sheets lined with silicone baking mats or parchment paper, spacing them at least 1 1/2-inches apart. Transfer one baking sheet of pastries to refrigerator to keep cold. Brush remaining sheet of puff pastries with egg mixture and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 10 – 15 minutes until well puffed and golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately (and gently), follow square previously cut and cut once more using a sharp knife so the pastry will collapse in the center while it’s still warm. Repeat process with second chilled sheet of pastries. Let pastries cool on a wire rack.
• To assemble pastries:
• Transfer filling to a piping bag fitted with a star or round tip. Pipe filling into puff pastry squares just before serving then top with fresh fruit and mint. (They will stay crisp for about 2 hours after filling (and should be kept cold), I just recommend filling right before serving).
• *I recommend Galbani, it has a nice rich, thick consistency and doesn’t need to be strained much. To strain it I did a cheater method. I simply place it on several layers of paper towels then wrap and fatten and press to extract some of the excess liquid. You only need to get rid of about 1 oz of moisture from the Galbani. The ricotta should hold it’s shape pretty well at this point.
• Recipe source: Cooking Classy