Name: Puff Pastry Pudding Hearts
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: About 9 hearts
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) milk, divided; 2 tablespoons (16 g) all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar; Pinch of salt; 1 large egg yolk; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of a 17.3 oz / 490 g package), thawed in the refrigerator; 2 oz (57 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped and melted

These little pastries from the KitchenSimplicity archive borrow the idea of an eclair without any choux paste. A sheet of store-bought puff pastry is cut into hearts and baked until puffed and flaky, then each heart is split open, filled with a quick stovetop vanilla pudding and finished with a drizzle of semisweet chocolate.

They make an easy Valentine’s Day dessert, but there is no reason to save them for February; cut rounds or squares for birthdays, showers or a weekend treat. Kids can help cut the shapes, and the pudding can be served warm or made ahead and chilled.

Tips

To serve the pudding cold, press plastic wrap directly onto its surface and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each, or over a pan of barely simmering water.
Assemble the hearts just before serving; once filled, the pastry softens within an hour or two.
The baked, unfilled hearts keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day. Recrisp them in a 350°F oven for 3 to 4 minutes.

Puff Pastry Pudding Hearts

Prep

25 min

Cook

15 min

Total

55 min

Yield

About 9 hearts

Ingredients

For the vanilla pudding:
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) milk, divided
2 tablespoons (16 g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the hearts:
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of a 17.3 oz / 490 g package), thawed in the refrigerator
2 oz (57 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped and melted

Steps

Heat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Unfold the puff pastry onto the lined sheet. Cut out hearts with a heart-shaped cutter, or cut them freehand with a sharp paring knife, pressing straight down rather than dragging the blade so the edges can rise. Pull away the scraps; bake them on a separate sheet as a snack if you like. If the pastry has gone soft, chill the sheet for a few minutes.
Bake the hearts for 10 to 12 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Move them to a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes.
While the pastry bakes, make the pudding: pour 1 cup of the milk into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often so it does not scorch.
In a small bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Gradually whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup milk until there are no lumps, then whisk in the egg yolk.
Slowly whisk the yolk mixture into the hot milk. Keep whisking constantly until the pudding returns to a boil and thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla and let it cool slightly.
To serve, split each pastry heart in half horizontally. Spoon a little pudding onto the bottom half, set the top back on and drizzle with melted chocolate. Serve right away.