Blueberry Cheesecake Pastry Bites

I was having guests for a crafting day and wanted to have a treat to serve them. I had some Philadelphia no bake cheesecake from another splurge and I had an idea to make some baked items. Yes, I realize it is a no bake item.  But that means I can serve it as is. It doesn't mean I can't bake it in something. Or at least that was my hope.  I did make a test batch first!

I find making a treat with a bit of puff pastry elevates it to something cuter and more special than just a pie crust.  So I got out my graduated, fluted circle cutters to make a pastry with a well for the sweet part.

Blueberry Cheesecake Pastry Bites

1 package Pepperidge Farm puff pastry

Philadelphia no bake cheesecake

Philadelphia strawberry cream cheese or sweet flavor of your choice 

blueberries

1 egg

Turbinado or raw sugar

This recipe can make the whole box or one sheet of the puff pastry box.  It just depends on how many treats you want to make.

Set the puff pastry out to thaw.  Don't let it thaw out completely.  When you can unfold the pastry sheet,  roll it smooth. You may have to use fingers to seal the fold marks.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Prepare two baking sheets with SilPat mats or parchment paper.

I have some graduated circle cutters.  You can also use a biscuit/donut cutter.

I cut nine circles out of each pastry sheet with a 3 1/16 cutter. I took a smaller ( 1 7/8) cutter and cut the middle out of half of the circles.

Whisk the egg in a small bowl with about 1 Tablespoon of water. Use a pastry brush to paint the egg wash around the edges of a circle of the dough.  Place one of the rings centered on the circle and brush it with the egg wash.  Move it to one of the baking sheets.

Repeat until you have transferred all of the pastry circles on a baking sheet

Carefully place about 1 Tablespoon of cheesecake or cream cheese mixture in the center well.  Gently press 4 or 5 blueberries into the creamy center.

Take a pinch of turbinado sugar and sprinkle it around on the egg wash on the ring.

There will be leftover circles and diamonds of dough.  Don't discard them.  Brush them with the egg wash and sprinkle turbinado sugar on them. You can even add a bit of cinnamon. Put them around the pastry bites on the baking sheets for an additional set of treats.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.  I found the pastry bites puffed nicely.  Some of the dough circles puffed up and over.

Allow the pastry bites to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Put a piece of waxed paper under the cooling rack.  Sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar through a small strainer over the finished bites.  I didn't think they needed more sugar.  I just did it to look a bit fancier. But that is your choice!

The pastry bites were a hit.  They were crispy with a creamy blueberry center. 

The pop of cinnamon sugar circles were equally delightful!