Ingredients

The following ingredients have 2 Servings
  • 2 sheets butter puff pastry (See Note 1)
  • 6 tbsp cream cheese (at room temperature. See Note 2)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (See Note 3)
  • 4 tbsp icing/confectioners' sugar (See Note 2)
  • 8 canned apricot halves (See Note 4)
  • 1 egg (lightly beaten)
  • 2 tbsp demerara sugar (See Note 5)
  • 2 tbsp apricot jam

Instruction

  • Line a baking tray with baking paper – See Note 6Remove the pastry from the freezer and defrost – See Note 7Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (400 F).
  • Drain the canned apricots through a sieve. Then place on some kitchen towel, cut side down, to remove as much moisture as possible and avoid making your pastries soggy.
  • Combine cream cheese, vanilla and icing/confectioners’ sugar and mix well.
  • Cut the puff pastry into eight 10 cm/4” squares.
  • To make the shape that I have used, fold the square loosely in half diagonally to form a triangle. – See Note 8.
  • To shape the pastry, use a very sharp knife and make two cuts along the outside edge of the triangle, about ½ “ wide, but not cutting right through to the tip of the triangle.
  • Open the triangle and gently lift the right-hand strip of pastry over to the left, placing it on the square of pastry.Place pastry on baking tray to shape and top. (It is difficult to move once assembled).
  • Repeat with the left-hand strip, taking it to the right-hand side. The pastry creates a frame around the filling.
  • Divide the cream cheese mixture between the pastry shapes.
  • Place an apricot half on top of the cream cheese.
  • Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle with a teaspoon of demerara sugar.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the pastry becomes golden-brown.
  • Meanwhile, add the jam to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, adding a teaspoon of water if necessary to thin it a little. If there are large pieces of jam it will be best to push the jam through a sieve. If not, brush each apricot with some of the jam to give them a nice shine.
  • Allow the pastries to cool for a few minutes before serving. However, if not serving immediately, store the cold pastries in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two or freezer if keeping longer. Re-heat for a few minutes before serving.