I hope you’re having a great week! I originally had planned to share a mashed potatoes recipe with you this week but then remembered the big day coming up. And mashed potatoes just aren’t that romantic, are they? I can’t believe I haven’t posted a recipe since last Monday but my thesis deadline is coming up so I’m trying my best to meet all my deadlines on time!
And guess what? These Easy Puff Pastry Tarts for Two come along with a cheesy(ish) love story. Haha. 🙂
J and I met each other in Lille, France three years ago while we we were both on exchange studying abroad. Around this time of year, we met in the kitchen of our residence where I was cooking dinner with a friend and he was warming himself up something to eat. You know when you meet somebody and you immediately do a double take? Like a who’s that!? Eager to meet new people and make new friends (plus I thought he was pretty cute lol), J and I started chatting right away. It turned out he lived two floors directly above my room. The rest is exchange student love story history. Who knew flash forward to a few years later we’d be living together in our cozy little apartment in Belgium?
When J and I started dating, we used to love enjoying fresh Pain au Chocolat together in the morning. Okay, he used to bring me pastry every morning because he’s the best boyfriend ever. We lived beside the most decadent boulangerie with the best pastry I’ve ever had in the world. Early in the morning and at 4 in the afternoon the entire street smelled of fresh croissants and pain au chocolat warm straight out of the oven. The pastry would quickly sell out and they claimed they were the best in the North of France. And to be honest, I have never tried any pastry ever again that was quite like that decadent, melt-in-your-mouth pastry we used to enjoy together.
And though I’m happy that we don’t live beside a world-class bakery anymore (for obvious reasons haha), some pastry like in these Simple Puff Pastry Jam Tarts for Two is warranted once in a while – especially on Valentine’s Day 😉 These Easy Puff Pastry Jam Tarts for Two come together quickly, are smothered in chocolate (a Valentine’s day must if you are in a relationship or single) and are almost just as decadent as the pastry we used to enjoy together en France, almost 😀
- Puff Pastry
- 1 heaping tbsp Strawberry Jam (or Jam of Choice – I used strawberry rhubarb)
- 1 heaping tbsp dark chocolate
- ½ tsp coconut oil or vegan buttery type spread
- Sprinkle Sea Salt or Fleur de Sel
- Preheat oven to 390F/200C. Line a baking sheet with a slipmat or parchment paper. If your puff pastry is frozen, leave it to cool for 10 minutes until it is easy to work with. Cut puff pastry into 3.1 inch x 3.1 inch (8cm x 8cm) squares. With a fork, poke several holes in the center of the squares leaving a finger-size space around the border (about 1.25 cm/1/2 inch) – this is your crust. Save and freeze the rest of the puff pastry for later use. Bake Puff Pastry for 4-5 minutes until the crust begins to rise.
- Lower the oven down to 350F/180C. If the center has risen, poke it with a fork a couple times so it doesn’t continue to rise during the second baking time. Evenly spread ½ heaping tbsp of jam on each tart. Place back in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until the pastry begins to turn golden brown. The jam will start to bubble – this is perfectly normal.
- While the tarts are baking, by 15 second intervals, melt the dark chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave, making sure not to burn the dark chocolate. Stir and combine the coconut oil and dark chocolate together. The chocolate should be warm, and liquid-y enough to drizzle onto the warm tarts.
- Remove the tarts out of the oven when they are done and drizzle the melted dark chocolate on top. The jam becomes very hot in the oven so make sure to leave the tarts to cool for 15 minutes before enjoying with your sweetie! Enjoy warm or save and enjoy cold later.
If you do try these Easy Puff Pastry Jam Tarts for Two, I love hearing about it! Insta or Tweet it to me (@cearaskitchen with hashtag #cearaskitchen) or Facebook it to me via the Ceara’s Kitchen Facebook Page!
33 comments
YUM! Don’t these look amazing! So cute and fun and perf for Valentines Day!! 🙂 …and seriously, you guys are so cute!!
I love these little jam tarts! So easy and so cute! Pinned!
Thanks so much for stopping by and the pin, Mariah!!! <3 🙂 Happy Valentine's Day!
Ahhh….sweet story! Nothing like a good love story this time of year!
Thanks so much, Kathy!! <3 🙂 Happy Valentine's Day!
Aww what a cute love story! 🙂 And I love puff pastry tarts! so easy to make and so delicious! yours look amazing!
Thanks so much, Manali!! I love love love your nutella tarts as well 🙂 🙂 Happy Valentine’s Day!
What and easy and brilliant use of puff pastry!!! These look awesome. Pinned! I love the story of how you met J, it was love at first sight. 🙂
Thanks for everything, Lina!! 🙂 Hehe, it was!! 😉 Happy Valentine’s Day!
I’m in love with these simple to make, cute and delicious tarts Ceara! Love reading your sweet story! Happy Valentine’s Day!
Thanks so much, Mira! Happy Valentine’s Day to you too! 🙂
Jam tarts only for two? What about the rest of us! PLEASE MAKE A DOZEN SO WE CAN DEVOUR THEM ALL!
Awesome recipe once again! I think I have pinned these numerous times, cause it deserves exposure!
Great job my blogger friend!!!
Haha!! 🙂 You can make AS MANY as you want! Wish I could send you guys some in exchange for some of your delicious hazelnut cookies 😀 😀 Thanks for the pins my friend!
Aww, that’s so sweet, and falling in love in France sounds like it’s straight out of the movies 🙂 These tarts look fabulous, I’m so short on time these days and need easy recipes like this one. Good luck on your thesis! I am going to be writing up my PhD thesis in August…gulp!
Good luck writing your thesis Denise!!!! I am feeling your pain right now with my Master’s thesis which probably is a picture book of a thesis in comparison LOL! 🙂 Happy Valentine’s Day and best of luck 🙂
OH MY YUMMMM! these look amazing 😉 I have never made a puff pastry but these look de-lish and sound do-able! can’t wait to try them!
Thanks so much, Michele! Puff Pastry is so easy to work with and so tasty 🙂 Let me know how they turn out! Xo!
I’ve actually been to Lille France many years ago, fun! I’ve had puff pantries on the brain lately. Love the idea of making these for a special treat. Might have to double the recipe so there’s enough for the four of us! Good luck with your thesis!
That’s so cool! Lille is one of my favorite places in the world – we’re heading back there in a couple weeks actually!! I love that we are on the same wave length re. puff pastries – let me know if you end up trying them 🙂 Happy Valentine’s Day!
I think mashed potatoes can be romantic haha.
Jam and chocolate – you can’t go wrong with that. I could eat these all up!
Hehe, I think so too!! And so does J! We practically live off potatoes!! Thanks so much girl! <3
I love everything with puff pastry, and this recipe just sounds so delicious, I have to try it. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the kind words, Cecilia! Let me know if you end up trying it 🙂 Happy Valentine’s Day!
Maybe mashed potatoes could be romantic, I guess it would depend what you put in them or on top of them 🙂
I love simple and delicious desserts like this, they never disappoint.
These sound delicious…and so easy. I love puff pastry! Might have to give these a try! And you and J are so cute. I loved reading that story. Reminds me of when I was in France/Belgium and ate a chocolate croissant every day for breakfast for a week. 🙂
Thanks so much Jenn 🙂 I’m loving the super easy recipes right now as I write my thesis! And I love that you ate a croissant every day when you were in France – I basically did the same thing! I’ve swapped the croissants for smoothies now though – most of the time 😉
What a cute store of how you and J met! And any guy that would bring you a pastry every day is a keeper for sure! 🙂 This puff pastry sounds delicious, Ceara! I have yet to make my own, so I’m loving how easy this is. I absolutely love the jam and chocolate in here, pretty much the best combo! Sounds fantastic! Pinned, of course! 🙂
Thank you so much Gayle for the kind words and pin! Any guy who brings you pastry and chocolate is a keeper for sure 😀 Hope you’re having a wonderful week!
Aaw, I loved hearing how you and J met, so sweet 🙂 These tarts look fantastic! Love how easy they are and the chocolate drizzle looks so pretty!
Those look great! Such a tasty idea for Valentine’s day 🙂
Thanks so much for the kind words, June! 🙂 😀
These look so delicious and simple Ceara! Love the chocolate drizzle on top and I haven’t had puff pastry since going vegan! Yum!! Love that it’s for 2. My recent post is a 1 bowl Peanut Butter a Chocolate Chip cake for 2! I’m thinking there’s enough room for this one too, lol!
Thanks so much, Brandi! I am absolutely smitten with your 1 bowl PB cake for two! I can’t wait to try it 🙂