Easy Jam-Filled Puff Pastry Heart

This Puff Pastry Heart is a delicious & beautiful jam-filled treat that looks impressive, but is actually very quick and easy. Perfect for Valentine’s Day or any special occasion.

My husband and I don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day…at least not in the traditional sense. We don’t exchange gifts or go out to dinner. Instead, we usually just have a nice meal at home.  I don’t like the way that society is getting increasingly commercially-driven. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy celebrating holidays. They are memory-makers and provide an excuse to take the monotony out of life by changing things up a bit. I just think it’s more about togetherness than anything else, so it’s ok to keep things simple. Most importantly, it’s about reminding those we love how we feel about them. The way I do this (surprise, surprise), is through food.

For the past several years, our typical Valentine’s dinner includes pink heart-shaped ravioli topped with this pasta sauce (a family favorite). For dessert, I try something different every year. This year, it’s this Jam-Filled Puff Pastry Heart. I can’t begin to tell you how quickly and easily this pretty little thing comes together. I know it looks a bit intimidating, but believe me, it’s not. It will take you about 15 minutes to put together and nobody has to know that.

A couple of years ago, a friend and I tackled a similar dessert during Christmas time. That one was a puff pastry Christmas tree filled with chocolate. It was a big hit and disappeared in minutes. The fun we had making (and eating) it led me to revisit the recipe, which isn’t actually a recipe, but rather a tutorial.

Just four simple ingredients – two pre-made puff pastry sheets (there’s two in each box), your choice of jam, a little flour, and an egg. Puff pastry sheets can be found in most grocery store’s frozen section, usually in the same place as frozen pie crusts. I used guava jam, but you can use your favorite. And if you’re a chocolate lover, Nutella works perfectly here too.

To start, the puff pastry needs to be left to thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes. It’s best if it’s still cold (but not frozen) when you start rolling it out. The rolling process is very simple because the sheets already come in a square shape. Each of the pastry sheets needs to rolled out on its own piece of parchment into about a 12 x 12 inch square. Sprinkle a little flour on your rolling pin to avoid sticking. It will only take you a couple of minutes to get it to the right size.

Once your pastry sheets are rolled to the right size, they are placed on top of each other. Then, using the tip of a small sharp knife, you lightly score a heart shape onto the top sheet. I do this because I don’t trust my cutting skills. Once you are happy with your heart’s shape, you just cut it out applying enough pressure to cut through both sheets of pastry. You then remove the top heart and set it aside. Spread the bottom heart with the jam, leaving about 1/2 inch along the border. Using your finger, dampen that 1/2 inch edge with water and then place the top heart on top. Gently, press the edges together to adhere. Then, the fun begins (at least in my world)…

Using the same small paring knife, cut 1 inch strips all the way around. I started my first cut at the center of the heart, down the middle towards the tip. My heart had 7 strips on each side. The most important thing to remember is not to cut all the way to the very center. There should be a small space near the center top of the heart (where all the strips meet) that is unsliced. This keeps the strips distinct from each other. Once you’ve made all your cuts, start twisting each strip (I started at the top). You’ll twist each strip twice and then lay the edge flat. The last step is to brush the whole thing with an egg wash. This helps it get golden and shiny as it bakes.

After a few minutes in the oven, you’ll have this crisp, buttery beauty and you’ll feel so proud! All that’s left to do now is glaze it with icing. I used a simple cream cheese icing because guava and cream cheese pair amazingly together. This is totally optional, but I like the way it looks and tastes. Another easier option is to dust it with powdered sugar. It looks beautiful either way.

I have to confess…I ate most of this thing by myself. Flaky pastries are my kryptonite. I am powerless in their presence.

I hope you give this Puff Pastry Heart a try! It’s easy, delicious, and so pretty. Let me know how it goes for you. I love hearing from you. xo.

You might also like:

Dark Cherry Crisp

Strawberry Key Lime Pie