by Christopher Smith
Strawberries are perfect for Valentine’s Day.
They are red and the slices are heart-shaped-ish.
I found this recipe when working on a story about summer berries. The heart-shaped cutout makes them a great choice for the upcoming holiday.
Take a little time to make the fresh preserves and assemble pastries and you will be glad that you did.
STRAWBERRY HEART BREAKFAST PASTRIES
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon water
1 package refrigerated pie crust
6 heaping teaspoons strawberry preserves, recipe below
2 large strawberries, sliced lengthwise and carved into hearts
Coarse sugar (or granulated sugar)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and 1 teaspoon water. Set aside.
3. Roll out pie crust until it's pretty thin (about 1/16 of an inch thick). Cut into 2 1/2 inch-by-3 1/2-inch rectangles, re-rolling the dough as needed. You should end up with 12 rectangles.
4. Take six of the rectangles and cut out a heart in the center, using the strawberries carved into hearts as a guide. Set aside.
5. On the remaining six rectangles, add a layer of strawberry jam, making sure to leave a 1/2-inch border. Place a sliced strawberry heart on top of the strawberry jam layer, in the center of the rectangle. Top with the pie dough with the heart carved out of the center.
6. Seal the edges with the prongs of a fork and brush with egg wash mixture. Sprinkle heavily with coarse sugar. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool for 5 minutes and then serve.
- adapted from TheNoviceChef.com
STRAWBERRY PRESERVES
Makes approximately 1 cup
1 cup strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon orange zest (lemon zest also works)
1. Put the strawberries and sugar in a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir and mash with a potato masher or large fork and bring to a boil. Boil for about 2-3 minutes until sugar is dissolved and combined with the mashed strawberries.
2. Reduce heat to medium low. Add the lemon juice. Also add the vanilla bean, first scraping the seeds from the bean before adding the pod. Continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes until thickened.
3. You can test consistency by spooning a small amount (1/2 teaspoon) onto a cold plate. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then flip the plate onto its side. If it runs too much, then you need to simmer for a bit longer.
4. Remove vanilla bean pod and stir in the orange or lemon zest. Cool to room temperature before spooning onto the prepared pastry squares. Any leftovers may be stored in the fridge for about a week.
- adapted from Bon Appetit
