Strawberry Puff Pastry Flowers with Lemon Mascarpone Whipped Cream

Strawberry Puff Pastry Flowers with Lemon Mascarpone Whipped Cream
by Sarah K.
Makes 12 pastries

Strawberry Puff Pastry Flowers

Frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar 

12 small strawberries
Honey

Preheat oven to 425°F.

On a lightly-floured surface, roll a sheet of puff pastry out to 1/4" thickness. Sprinkle dough with granulated sugar, pressing lightly into the dough.

Using a flower-shaped cookie cutter with diameter approximately 2-2.5 times the width of your strawberries, cut out flower-shaped pieces of dough.

Transfer dough to baking sheet fitted with Mrs. Anderson's silicone bread crisping mat.

Cut the tops off each strawberry. Place a strawberry in the middle of each flower and bake for 25 min, until the flower petals are puffed up and golden brown.

Once out of the oven, brush strawberries lightly with honey.

Let the pastries cool for 5 minutes, then serve with tea and a dollop of Lemon Mascarpone Whipped Cream (recipe below) on the side.

Lemon Mascarpone Whipped Cream 

by Sarah K

1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
Zest of one lemon
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese.

While the pastries are baking, whip cream with sugar in a bowl until it begins to form soft peaks. Add the lemon zest (optional: Reserve a bit of the zest for garnishing) and continue beating for half a minute. Add the mascarpone and whip until it forms stiff peaks.