Step 1: Make That Pastry Cream First

Trust me, you want this chilled and ready before you even think about baking.

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until it just starts to steam. Don’t let it boil—we’re not making hot chocolate here.

While that’s warming, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, and salt in a bowl until smooth and pale yellow. This takes about 2 minutes. Your arm will get a workout.

Now here’s the tricky part: slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. This is called tempering and it prevents your eggs from scrambling. Nobody wants sweet scrambled eggs in their pastry.

Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Whisk like your life depends on it.

Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble. This takes 3-5 minutes. You’ll feel it get noticeably thicker—almost pudding-like. Once it bubbles for about 30 seconds, you’re good.

Remove from heat and immediately whisk in the butter and vanilla. The butter makes it glossy and rich.

Pour the pastry cream into a clean bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface—this prevents that gross skin from forming on top.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but 4 hours or overnight is better. It needs to be completely cold and set. Do not skip this step or you’ll have runny cream sliding off your pastries like a sad, delicious disaster.

Step 2: Prep Those Strawberries

Hull and slice your strawberries about 1/4 inch thick. Not too thin or they’ll get mushy, not too thick or they’ll slide off.

If your strawberries aren’t super sweet (taste one—it’s research), toss them in a bowl with 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice. Let them sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to macerate. They’ll release their juices and taste amazing.

If your strawberries are already perfect and sweet, just slice them and move on with your blessed life.

Step 3: Prepare the Puff Pastry

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Unfold your thawed puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface. If they’re cracking, let them sit for 5-10 minutes—they’re too cold.

Cut each sheet into 6 rectangles (about 3×5 inches each). You’ll have 12 total pastries. You can also cut them into squares or circles if you’re feeling fancy. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter and make clean cuts—don’t drag the knife or you’ll seal the edges and they won’t puff properly.

Place the rectangles on your prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. They’ll puff up and expand.

Optional but recommended: Using a sharp knife, score a border about 1/2 inch from the edge of each rectangle. Don’t cut all the way through—just lightly score the surface. This creates a frame that puffs higher than the center, making a little well for your cream and berries.

Whisk together the egg and water to make your egg wash. Brush it over the entire surface of each pastry. This gives you that gorgeous golden color.

Sprinkle each pastry with a little granulated sugar. This adds crunch and sweetness.

Prick the center of each pastry (inside your scored border) a few times with a fork. This keeps the center from puffing up too much so you have room for filling.

Step 4: Bake Until Golden and Perfect

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the pastries are puffed, golden brown, and crispy. They should look like they belong in a Parisian bakery window.

Rotate the baking sheets halfway through if your oven has hot spots (most do).

If the centers puffed up anyway despite your fork pricks (it happens), just press them down gently with the back of a spoon while they’re still warm. Be gentle—they’re flaky and delicate.

Let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They need to be completely cool before you add the cream or it’ll melt and slide off.

Step 5: Assemble This Beautiful Thing

Right before serving—and I mean RIGHT before, like 30 minutes max—it’s time to assemble.

Give your chilled pastry cream a good whisk to smooth it out. It might look a little lumpy from sitting in the fridge, but whisking will fix that.

You can either pipe or spoon the cream onto the pastries. Piping looks fancier. Spooning is easier and gets the job done.

If piping: Transfer the pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a large round or star tip. Pipe a generous amount into the center of each pastry, staying within your scored border.

If spooning: Just spoon a nice dollop (about 2-3 tablespoons) onto each pastry and spread it gently.

Arrange the sliced strawberries on top of the cream. You can fan them out in a pretty pattern or just pile them on—both work. I like overlapping them slightly in rows because it looks professional and I’m trying to impress people.

Dust the whole thing with powdered sugar using a fine-mesh sieve. This isn’t just for looks—it adds a touch of sweetness and makes everything look dreamy.

Add a tiny mint leaf on top if you’re feeling extra. It adds color and makes you look like you know what you’re doing.

Step 6: Serve Immediately and Accept Compliments

Seriously, serve these within an hour of assembly. The pastry cream and strawberry juices will make the pastry soggy if they sit too long. You want maximum flake and crunch.

Arrange them on a pretty platter. Take a photo because they’re gorgeous and you deserve internet validation.

Serve with coffee, tea, or champagne if you’re fancy like that.

Watch people’s faces light up when they take that first bite. Bask in the glory.