Ingredients:

  • 1 sheet (approx. 230g / 8 oz) Frozen Puff Pastry, thawed
  • 1 large Egg (for egg wash)
  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) Milk or Water (for egg wash)
  • 2 Tbsp (30g) Granulated Sugar or Pearl Sugar (for sprinkling)
  • 1 Tbsp (15g) Confectioners' Sugar (Icing Sugar) (for dusting, optional)
  • 1 cup (175g) Fresh Strawberries, hulled and diced into small cubes
  • 3 Tbsp (45g) Granulated Sugar (adjust to sweetness of berries)
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tbsp (8g) Cornflour (Cornstarch) – essential for binding the juices
  • A pinch of fine Sea Salt

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Unfold the thawed puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll out the sheet until it is slightly thinner (about 3-4 mm thick). Cut the pastry using a heart-shaped cutter (approx. 4-inch / 10 cm) to yield 16 hearts. Re-roll scraps gently if necessary.
  2. Combine the diced fresh strawberries, 3 Tbsp granulated sugar, lemon juice, cornflour (cornstarch), and salt in a small bowl. Mix gently until the cornflour is fully incorporated and the berries are evenly coated.
  3. Arrange eight of the heart shapes onto the prepared baking sheet—these are your bottoms. Spoon 1 generous tablespoon of the strawberry mixture into the centre of each pastry heart bottom, leaving a clean 1 cm border around the edge.
  4. Create the Egg Wash: Whisk the egg and milk/water thoroughly in a small bowl. Brush the exposed 1 cm border around the filling with the egg wash. Place the remaining eight heart shapes directly over the filled bottoms, lining up the edges perfectly. Seal the turnover edges by gently pressing them together with your fingertips.
  5. Crimp the entire edge firmly using the tines of a fork. Brush the tops of the sealed hearts generously with the remainder of the egg wash. Use a small sharp knife to cut two tiny slits in the top of each heart (to release steam). Sprinkle the tops with the granulated or pearl sugar.
  6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the hearts are dramatically puffed up, deeply golden brown, and the filling is visibly bubbling slightly around the edges. Cool the tarts on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack. Dust lightly with sifted confectioners’ sugar while still warm, if desired. Serve immediately.