Blueberry-Vanilla Cream Cheese Pies

By garciamoss

These portable pies are like mini blueberry cheesecakes wrapped in puff pastry.

Ingredients

• 2 (17.3-ounces) packages frozen puff pastry
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 7 tablespoons granulated sugar
• Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean (or 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract)
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 cup blueberries
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons crème de cassis
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• Confectioners’ sugar for finishing

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 35mins

Preparation

Step 1

Thaw 3 sheets of puff pastry overnight in the refrigerator.

Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.

In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, the vanilla bean seeds (or extract), and 1 of the egg yolks. Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined and smooth.

Combine the blueberries, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, the cornstarch, crème de cassis, and salt in another medium bowl and mix gently.

On a lightly floured surface, roll each pastry sheet into a 10-inch square. Using a 4-inch round cutter (or a small plate as a guide), cut out 4 rounds from each sheet. Arrange them on 2 parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets.

In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water. Brush the outer edge of each pastry round with the egg wash. Dollop 1/2 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each round. Top with 1 tablespoon of the blueberry mixture. Fold in half to form a half-moon shape and pinch the edges together to seal them. Lightly brush each pie with egg wash and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining sugar. With the tip of a paring knife, cut a steam vent in the center of each pie.

Bake until golden-brown, about 25 minutes, swapping and rotating the baking sheets’ positions about halfway through. Cool slightly on the baking sheets and then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Before serving, sprinkle the pies with confectioners’ sugar.