Strawberry Bliss

Name: Strawberry Bliss
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 12 servings.
Ingredients: 1 cup water; 1/2 cup butter, cubed; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 4 large eggs, room temperature; 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened; 1/2 cup sugar; 5 tablespoons seedless strawberry jam; 3 cups cold whole milk; 1 package (5.1 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix; 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream; 3 cups quartered fresh strawberries

My easy-to-make puff pastry crust is topped with a soft-set pudding layer that has a hint of strawberry flavor. It needs to chill for at least an hour, so it’s your new go-to for a make-ahead brunch! —Candace Richter, Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Ingredients

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
5 tablespoons seedless strawberry jam
3 cups cold whole milk
1 package (5.1 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3 cups quartered fresh strawberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large saucepan, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Add flour all at once and beat until blended. Cook over medium heat, stirring vigorously until mixture pulls away from sides of pan and forms a ball. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.
Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny.
Spread into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until puffed and golden brown (surface will be uneven). Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and jam until smooth. Beat in milk and pudding mix until smooth. In a small bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form; fold into pudding mixture. Spread over crust. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Just before serving, top with strawberries.

Nutrition Facts

1 piece: 377 calories, 22g fat (13g saturated fat), 131mg cholesterol, 332mg sodium, 40g carbohydrate (27g sugars, 1g fiber), 7g protein.

Originally published as Strawberry Bliss in Holiday & Celebrations Cookbook 2014

Reviews

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Average Rating:

jsalsm

Sep 15, 2019

Why so many great reviews. I followed the directions an although it tasted ok it didn’t cut and serve like the picture. So disappointed
oopsss

Mar 26, 2019

sounds great.....can I use store bought puff pastry for the crust
Jellybug

Feb 3, 2019

This is my new show off dessert. I got many compliments, and it was absolutely delicious. Love all the textures and how it looks..
justmbeth

Jun 11, 2018

Very good! My recommendation would be to eat this as soon as possible (which is not hard to do) as it got very watery after a few days in the refrigerator.
bonito15

Apr 12, 2018

This recipe is fabulous - delicious and so easy to make. followed the directions exactly - wish we had summer strawberries that are more red and full of flavor but it was awesome anyhow.
Irascible_Baker

Feb 21, 2017

This pastry whips up just like any other reliable choux pastry - super easy! I always let it cool before I add the eggs. I wet my hands generously and patted the dough into a jelly-roll (half-sheet?) pan. It may seem thin at first, but it does cover the pan and can be easily adjusted with gentle, brisk pats. It bubbles up tremendously during baking - it may look disastrous, but this is normal for choux and can be flattened out (I do this while it's hot). It will be very lumpy and uneven!The filling scared me because it was very thin and runny; I beat it vigorously, and patiently waited for it to set – success! I ladled heaps of the pudding mixture over the crust and covered it, refrigerated overnight. By the next afternoon, all we had to do was heap it with sugared strawberries (and/or chocolate!) and an easily sliced dessert was ready to serve! I had no problems with moisture seeping into the pastry overnight – it was perfect.We - including a picky eater who does not like jam or strawberries - could not taste any of the strawberry jam in the pudding; in the case of my picky eater, this was fortunate, but you may like to play with the recipe.