March 29, 2021

Rhubarb Raspberry Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastries

It’s always such a joyous moment to find the first stalks of rhubarb at the start of Spring. These pink, leggy beauties give me hope that warmer, brighter days are coming soon. And before I know it, I’ll be back to my happy place (i.e. eating BFS’s and ice cream by the pool).

I made quick work of the few stalks of rhubarb that I had and baked up these super simple, show-stopping Rhubarb Raspberry Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastries. They would be perfect for Easter or Mother’s Day brunch. Or anytime that you’re lucky enough to snag some early season rhubarb!

The base for these pastries is store bought puff pastry. This is one of my favorite kitchen shortcuts. And I make sure that I have a box in my freezer at all times. On top of the puff pastry goes a thin layer of slightly sweetened cream cheese. Then you get to put on your artist cap and arrange the rhubarb and raspberries over the cream cheese layer in whatever pattern you desire. I like to keep the proportions of rhubarb and raspberry about equal on each pastry, but you certainly don’t have to do that. Have fun with it! And make it cute!

Because the rhubarb takes a little longer to cook than the rest of the pastry ingredients, it’s important to give it a bit of a head start in your oven before assembling the pastries. But this only takes about 10 minutes of extra time. The rhubarb should be starting to soften, but still be firm enough to hold its shape.

My rhubarb stalks were thin, which is typical of early season rhubarb, so all I had to do was cut the rhubarb stalks horizontally into batons that were slightly shorter than the width of my puff pastry rectangles. But if your stalks are thick, I highly recommend first cutting them in half lengthwise before creating the batons. The rhubarb will be much more palatable this way!

These Rhubarb Raspberry Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastries have very little added sugar, so they aren’t super sweet. If you want something a bit sweeter, try finishing them with a drizzle of maple syrup or a dusting of powdered sugar before serving.

Cheers,

Liz

Get the Recipe:

Rhubarb Raspberry Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastries

At a Glance:

Yield: Makes 6 pastries

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed according to the package instructions
• About 3 stalks fresh rhubarb
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp. almond extract
• About 1 pint fresh raspberries

Instructions

1. Unfold the sheet of puff pastry and cut it into 6 rectangles. Place the rectangles on a parchment paper-line baking sheet and prick the surfaces all over with the tines of a fork. Transfer the baking sheet to your refrigerator while you prepare the rhubarb.
2. Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. 
3. Cut the rhubarb into batons that are slightly shorter than the width of your puff pastry rectangles. Place the rhubarb in a small baking dish and add the orange juice and 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup. Toss to combine. Then transfer the baking dish to your pre-heated oven and roast the rhubarb for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together the cream cheese, 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup and the extracts until completely smooth. Take the baking sheet with the puff pastry rectangles out of your refrigerator and place a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each rectangle, dividing it evenly. Then using the back of a spoon or a small off-set spatula, spread the cream cheese mixture out over the puff pastry rectangles, leaving a small border around the edge.
5. Arrange the roasted rhubarb on top of the cream cheese mixture, covering about half of the puff pastry rectangle with rhubarb. Then arrange the raspberries over the remaining half. Transfer the baking sheet to your pre-heated oven and bake the pastries for 22-24 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once halfway through. The pastries should be golden and puffed.
6. Remove the baking sheet from your oven and drizzle the pastries with the remaining maple syrup. Let the pastries rest on their baking sheet for about 5 minutes before serving.
7. These pastries are best when they are enjoyed on the same day they are made.