Fresh Fruit Puff Pastries

Ever wonder how those wonderful places like Panera Bread make those beautiful little fruit pastries?  Well wonder no more!  The only reason that I honestly even made these was we stopped in a Panera Bread on our way home recently from OKC.  We purchased two cheese puff pastries one cherry the other mixed fruit.  I ate the fruit and of course that was the one my Husband wanted.  So the past two weeks I have felt the need to pay off the IOU debt of one mixed fruit cheese danish.  The thing is with these even though you don't technically contribute that much sweat into this they are so beautiful that people think you spent a lot of time on them anyways so the not so homemade factor goes out the window. 

 First start with a frozen puff pastry and set out to thaw.  Depending on how many you want to make is how many sheets you should lay out.  I cut the standard sheet into four pastries.   I use my two favorite designs the traditional pinwheel and the vol-au-vents.  Starting with the vol au vents I fold my square over to make a triangle and I make a cut up the edge of the pasty but I stop about 3/4 of a inch away from the next corner.  I do the same on the other side.  For the pin wheels I cut in from each corner just about 1/4 inch away from the center.  



Once I have the dough cut I fold each cut strip to the opposite side to make a diamond-shaped pastry with a raised border all around.  Press all corners to seal.  For the pin wheel brush the dough with egg wash (1 egg beaten) fold alternating corners to the center of the pinwheel.

 

 After you get them egg washed all over you can decide on how to fill them.  I like to do a traditional cheese danish with mine topped with mixed fresh fruit.  You can also use pie filling such as cherry, blueberry even do chocolate chips.  These can be used sweet or savory.  I just get such a kick out of how beautiful they are with the fruit I usually just run with that.

Cheese Filling:
8oz cream cheese
1/4 cup powder sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Beat cheese and sugar on high until light and fluffy then add one egg and vanilla.  Beat until completely mixed.  The inner diamond on the vol au vents is where you will be piping the cheese filling and on the pin wheel you can just dollop some right in the center.    Place you fruit of choice (ONLY IF IT IS A PIE FILLING)  in the centers of the pastries.  If you are wanting to use fresh fruit like me please wait until baking is complete and pastry is cool before adding!  Once out of the oven you are left with a beautifully risen puff pastry waiting to be filled!!  You can arrange the fruit however you like in the pastry.  THere is no such thing as a ugly Danish so don't be to hard on yourself.  If you are really wanting to finish this off traditionally you can use 1/4 apricot jelly with 1 TB of water microwave until it thins out.  Usually about 15-20 seconds.  Lightly brush entire danish fruit and all with the glaze.  It will give them that finished look of perfection.

 These are perfect treats for a brunch, wedding or baby shower, church gathering or even just dessert.  You can do them bite size as well.  Either way, all the time ;) and effort it took you to make these will def get some attention at the party!