This is my third Puff Pastry post for Pepperidge Farm and I gotta admit, those folks have me hooked. I’m plotting how I can work in a holiday party or two just so I can show up with some of the creations I’ve turned out since being turned on to the wonder that is puff pastry. Today’s recipe is one of my personal favorites so far, and I just whipped it up after spending a few minutes mulling over possibilities. It’s that easy! I made up this recipe in just a few minutes so I’m sure you have some puff pastry recipes of your own swirling around in your head and just waiting to be released into the world.

Here is the cool thing about those recipes you are about to create…Pepperidge Farm is giving away an ALL EXPENSE PAID trip to New York City to one lucky person who submits their original puff pastry recipe! I’m crossing my fingers for you and I’d dearly love for a member of our Southern Plate Family to win this so what are you waiting for? Go to www.puffpastry.com for inspiration and then take your original puff pastry recipe and enter at 123puffpastry.com!

Why do I want you to go so badly? Because *I* want to go so badly! Closest I’ve ever come to the “Big Apple” was purchased from Isom’s Orchard at the start of picking season so I’m hoping for the following:

1. You’ll enter
2. You’ll win
3. You’ll send me photos and details so we can brag on you on SouthernPlate.com!

Let me know in comments if you’ve entered and I’ll step outside and look for a shooting star to wish on for ya!

Now on to our recipe, the perfect appetizer for a holiday gathering. These little cream cheese stuffed puffs have just a hint of sweetness and dried cranberries immediately give you a taste of the holidays. Feeding a crowd? This one recipe will make enough to make a couple dozen of the puff pastries and can be assembled in well under ten minutes. The COOL thing is that you can make the cranberry cream cheese a few days ahead of time, too! I love having less to do when I have company coming!

You’ll need: Dried cranberries, cream cheese (here’s our easy-peasy recipe for homemade cream cheese), and confectioner’s sugar

Not: these aren’t going to taste sweet like a cheesecake, they’ll be  a little more cheesy than that.

Feel free to double the confectioner’s sugar if you’d like a sweeter treat.

You’re also going to need Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets. I’ve been able to find these at every grocery store I’ve looked for them at. They are in the freezer section near the whipped topping and pie shells. Two sheets come in a box but if you only need one, you can just put the second in a plastic bag and toss it back in your freezer for another day!

Let pastry sheet sit at room temperature for about forty minutes to thaw, then place on floured surface and unfold like this.

Sprinkle the top with a little flower and roll it out a bit.

Cut into squares with a pizza cutter. I use such high tech kitchen devices ~grins~

I made twelve squares out of mine but you can make yours smaller if you like.

Tuck each square into a mini muffin cup in a mini muffin tin.

Bake at 400 degrees for about fifteen minutes, or until done.

While those are baking…

Pour 1 cup of cranberries into 1 cup of very hot water.

Let them sit for about five minutes to plump them up a bit, then drain well.

Place plumped cranberries in mixer bowl.

Add softened cream cheese and confectioner’s sugar

Mix until well combined.

Then stir it up a bit to get the cranberries more evenly distributed.

When Puff Pastry Cups are done, stick the end of a butter knife down in each one and turn it around a bit to hollow it out some.

You need to do this while they are still warm, I do it as soon as I get them out of the oven.

Then, remove from muffin pan and allow to cool.

Stuff with cream cheese mixture and top with a dried cranberry.

A baby spoon is handy for this.

Aren’t they pretty? They taste divine. No one will ever believe how little effort these took!

~smiles~

Better make extra, kids like ’em, too!

What are you going to be inspired to make with Puff Pastry ? Be sure to enter their NYC Giveaway !

Cranberry Cream Cheese Puffs

• 1 Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheet
• 8 Ounces Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 Cup Dried Cranberries, plus extra for garnishing (1 bag will be enough)
• 1/2 C Confectioner’s Sugar
• 1 Cup hot water

Remove one puff pastry sheet from package, allow to sit at room temperature for forty minutes to thaw.

Once thawed, unfold onto floured surface and roll out slightly with floured pin. Using a pizza cutter, cut pastry sheet into 12 squares. Gently press each square into a mini muffin cup in a mini muffin tin. Bake at 400 for fifteen minutes, or until done. Remove from oven and immediately press the handle end of a butter knife down into each cup to hollow out the center. Remove from muffin tin and allow to cool.

Pour 1 Cup dried cranberries into hot water. Let sit for five minutes to plump.

Drain Cranberries. In Medium mixing bowl, place cream cheese, sugar, and cranberries. Mix until well blended, scraping down sides if needed. Spoon filling inside each puff pastry cup. Top with dried cranberry.

I’m proud to bring you this post, sponsored by Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry.

“Love may be what keeps the world spinning around,

but friendship is what keeps us from throwing ourselves off.”

~Carrie (Thank you, Carrie, for such a wealth of quotes! Special thanks to my friend, Terri. This quote made me immediatelly think of you!).

To submit your quote, click here.