No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Puff Desserts
Author: Andrea Cammarata
Ingredients
  • puff pastry dough
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries
  • ½ cup strawberry syrup
  • 1 8-ounce cream cheese
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1½ tablespoons pure vanilla extract
  • juice of a medium lemon
  • 1 package of pastry dough + 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
  1. Remove the pastry dough from the package and place it on a wire rack, allow the dough to thaw until the pastry dough is defrosted, about 40 minutes.
  2. Make strawberry simple syrup ahead of time, combine one cup of water and one cup of sugar into a saucepan over med/high heat. Slice fresh strawberries, with the green stem removed, until there is enough to fill a single measuring cup. Add strawberries to the sugar and water mixture and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Use a potato masher or a fork to break apart the strawberries to release the juices. Let the mixture boil for three to four minutes. Remove the saucepot from direct heat and place a tight-fitting lid on top. Allow the syrup to steep for 15-minutes. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a Mason jar and screw on the lid. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  4. Remove the cream cheese from the box packaging and allow it to come to room temperature, about 20 minutes, or longer. You want the cream cheese to be very soft. This step in important because you want the cream cheese to mix until very smooth, and if the cream cheese is cold it will not mix well. Once the cream cheese is soft squeeze it into the bowl of a stand mixer. Turn the paddle speed adjustment to medium and beat until the cream cheese is smooth, also make sure to scrape down the sides. Add a can of sweetened condensed milk, and the pure vanilla extract, and continue mixing until the ingredients are well combined. Add the juice of one medium lemon, make sure to roll the lemon on the countertop to loosen the fruit, this step helps to release all of the juices. I used a lemon press through a fine-mesh sieve. Add the lemon juice to the cream cheese mixture. Continue to mix for two to three more minutes. Spoon the no-bake cheesecake into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, store in the fridge to chill until ready to use.
  5. Cut 1" x 4" strips of pastry into sections and dust them with sugar (you can cut longer strips if the glass you are using is taller than four-inches) and press each strip onto the inside wall of the dessert glass, place the glasses on a baking sheet and place on the center rack of 350-degree oven. Bake until the pastry dough is golden brown about 15-minutes. Remove the baking sheet and allow the dessert glasses to cool. When the glasses are cool to the touch, use a spoon to push the pastry dough to one side. Spoon a tablespoon of strawberry syrup into the glass. Next, fill the opening with the no-bake cheesecake mixture. Top with fresh slices of strawberries and drizzle with additional strawberry syrup. Serve.
Recipe by The Cottage Market at https://thecottagemarket.com/no-bake-strawberry-cheesecake-puff-desserts/