Strawberry Pastries

Name: Strawberry Pastries
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 pints fresh strawberries, about 3 cups; ½ cup granulated sugar; ¼ cup cornstarch; zest from 1 lemon, about 1 tablespoon; juice from 2 lemons, about ¼ cup; 1 (13.5-ounce) refrigerated package puff pastry dough; 4 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature; 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (egg wash); 1 tablespoon sanding sugar (substitute with granulated sugar); confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling

The Estate Bakery

Strawberry Pastries

Print Recipe

The Strategy:

A true estate-baked pastry is a triumph of contrasting textures: the crisp, golden layers of laminated puff pastry, the velvety richness of room-temperature mascarpone cheese, and the bright, sweet-tart strawberry jam filling simmered with fresh lemon zest and juice. By rolling the dough to an even thickness, cutting it into neat squares, and sealing the triangles with a fork, we create perfectly portioned tarts. Brushed with a simple egg wash and sprinkled with sparkling sanding sugar before baking, these tarts puff into airy, buttery golden-brown pastries that serve as an elegant, crowd-pleasing addition to any morning or afternoon estate table.

Makes: about 20 palm-size tarts, serves 10 | Total Time: 40 minutes till it’s ready

Ingredients

Strawberry Filling

For strawberry filling:
2 pints fresh strawberries, about 3 cups
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
zest from 1 lemon, about 1 tablespoon
juice from 2 lemons, about ¼ cup

Pastry and Assembly

For pies:
1 (13.5-ounce) refrigerated package puff pastry dough
4 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (egg wash)
1 tablespoon sanding sugar (substitute with granulated sugar)
confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling

Raw ingredients arranged in copper and white stoneware bowls on a rustic zinc table. The ingredients include fresh bright red strawberries, fresh lemons with yellow zest, a container of white mascarpone cheese, puff pastry sheets, a copper cup of sugar, and an egg in a small dish with a pastry brush. Soft morning light, clean and styling.

Instructions

Make strawberry filling

Add the strawberries into a pot.
Add the sugar and add about 2 tablespoons of water.
Heat the berries over medium until they begin to break down and the sugar dissolves, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Stir together the cornstarch, lemon zest, and juice until smooth and pour into the pot.
Continue simmering until the strawberries begin to bubble up the sides of the pan.
Use a potato masher to mush together the berries in the syrupy sauce.
Continue simmering until the mixture resembles fruit jam.
Remove the pot from the heat and cool to room temperature.

Assemble and bake pastries

For the crust, lay the dough onto your floured board or work surface.
Roll out the dough to a rectangle about 15 x 18 inches and about ⅛-inch thickness. Cut the dough horizontally into four equal strips and then cut vertically into five equal pieces. You will end up with about 20 squares.
Preheat your oven to 425°.
Spread a tablespoon of mascarpone cheese on each square of dough.
Top with a spoonful of strawberry “jam.”
Fold the dough over and seal with the tines of a fork. I folded mine into triangles, but rectangles or squares are fine too!
Place each tart onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Brush each with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake until the tarts puff up and are golden, about 15 to 18 minutes.
Serve with a sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar.

Clean hands using a fork to crimp the edges of a puff pastry triangle on a lightly floured surface. A spoonful of creamy mascarpone and a dollop of glossy, deep red strawberry jam are visible in the center of the folded dough. In the background, a copper pot of simmered strawberries rests in a soft-focus blur.

Thing to Note:

Use ANY fruit to make these fun pastries. Any berry, cherry, or sliced stone fruit will work! No mascarpone … no problem! Substitute with cream cheese.

The full recipe lives in the Vault

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The Heart of the Table

Morning gatherings at the estate are made whole not by grand displays, but by the simple warmth of freshly baked pastries and the quiet spaces of sanctuary we build for each other. The kitchen becomes a harbor of presence as we roll out buttery sheets of puff pastry, spoon glossy, crimson strawberry jam over velvety mascarpone, and gently crimp each tart with the tines of a fork. This slow, intentional handcraft is a meditative ritual that settles the mind, turning baking into a form of active peace. Sharing these warm, golden pastries with family and friends around the harvest table is a physical expression of hospitality—a way to say you are welcome, you are cared for, and you belong. In these moments of shared sweetness and easy conversation, we witness the quiet power of neighborly grace, transforming an ordinary early summer morning into a deep, lasting celebration of connection and community.

Eight guests laughing, sharing coffee, and enjoying warm strawberry pastries together. They are gathered around a long zinc harvest table inside a cozy, sunlit garden glasshouse on a misty early summer morning. The table is decorated with stoneware plates, fresh strawberry baskets, and steaming coffee mugs. Cozy, branding.

Neighborly Grace

THE PRESENTATION: Serve these exquisite pastries warm, freshly dusted with a delicate snow of confectioners' sugar. Arrange them elegantly on a dark slate slab or a rustic hand-planed wooden harvest board, letting the vibrant red of the strawberry filling peek through the flaky, golden pastry layers.
THE POUR: A steaming cup of organic Earl Grey tea with a slice of lemon, freshly squeezed estate orange juice, or a chilled glass of dry sparkling rosé to elevate a morning brunch or an elegant mid-afternoon gathering.
THE VIBE: A sunlit, cozy early summer morning inside a rustic-luxury garden glasshouse nestled in a misty redwood forest. The long zinc harvest table is decorated with fresh wild strawberries, stoneware mugs with rising steam, raw linen runners, and vintage garden accents. Golden sunlight filters through the towering redwoods and the dew-kissed glass panels, casting a warm, serene glow over guests wrapped in soft linen throws, sharing warm pastries, easy laughter, and the quiet comfort of neighborly grace.

Chef’s Recommendations

The Same Pastry, Another Fruit: Peach Turnovers
Carries the Strawberries Through: Meyer Lemon Layer Cake with Orange Sherbet and Peppered Strawberries
The Savory Counterweight: Duck Confit
A Berry Companion: Tequila Spiked Berry Shortcakes

The Estate Table

Build tonight’s menu around this dish.

✦ Set the Table

Strawberry Pastries

Strawberry Pastries

The full recipe lives in the Vault

The Heart of the Table

Neighborly Grace

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