Flaky pastry bars filled with a luscious cream and topped with fresh, vibrant berries. A delightful treat for any occasion.
Ingredients:
- For the Pastry:
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 226g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup (120ml) ice water
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- For the Cream Filling:
- 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
- For the Berry Topping:
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
- Optional: powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions:
- Prepare the Pastry:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
- Add the cold butter cubes and use a pastry blender or your fingertips to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
- Gradually add the ice water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix.
- Form the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Roll and Shape the Pastry:
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough into a rectangle about 1/8-inch thick.
- Cut the dough into rectangular bars. The size is up to your preference.
- Place the bars onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Brush the pastry bars with the beaten egg wash.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let them cool completely on a wire rack.
- Prepare the Cream Filling:
- In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and sugar together until smooth and creamy.
- Stir in the vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well combined.
- Assemble the Pastry Bars:
- Once the pastry bars have cooled, spread a generous amount of the cream filling onto each bar.
- Arrange the sliced strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries on top of the cream filling.
- Optional: Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
- Serve immediately or chill for a short time before serving.