Lemon Thyme Cheesecake Petit Fours with Toasted Coconut
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Serves: 10-12
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup 2 % milk
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme OR ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • ½ cup granulated sugar, divided
  • ⅛ cup plus ½ tablespoon cornstarch
  • ⅛ cup plus ½ tablespoon all purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs, beaten till smooth
  • 1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into small pieces
  • *1 (8 ounce package) of ⅓ less fat cream cheese, softened
  • *1/2 of 1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk
  • **1/2 package puff pastry, thawed
  • **1 egg lightly beaten
  • ***1/2 cup sweetened flake coconut
Instructions
  1. In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the milk, thyme, lemon zest, and ¼ cup of the granulated sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar, bring it to a slow boil over medium high heat (stirring frequently so as NOT to scald the milk!), remove from the heat, cover, and let is stand for 15 minutes.
  2. While the hot milk is standing, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup sugar, the cornstarch, flour, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the beaten eggs. Set aside.
  3. Prepare an ice bath (SEE NOTE) and set out a large CLEAN heat-proof bowl lined with a very fine mesh strainer.
  4. Pour the hot milk through the strainer into the heat-proof bowl and discard the solids. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan (make sure to thoroughly scrape down the sides of the bowl) and bring to a slow boil again, stirring frequently over medium-high heat to prevent scalding.
  5. As soon as it boils, pour it into the egg mixture, whisking constantly until combined.
  6. Scrape the mixture BACK into the saucepan and bring to a boil again, whisking constantly for about 2 minutes until the pastry cream is thickened.
  7. Scrape the hot cream into the heat-proof bowl (the first bowl). Whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time until smooth and set the bowl down into the ice bath.
  8. Stir periodically to cool the pastry cream. When it's cooled, removed it from the ice bath, place plastic wrap DIRECTLY onto the cream (to prevent a skin from forming) and refrigerate until ready to use.
  9. To make the cheesecake filling for the petit fours, beat the cream cheese with the ½ can od sweetened condensed milk. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon thyme pastry cream and beat until smooth.
  10. Pre-heat the oven to 400.
  11. Unfold the sheet of puff pastry. When unfolded, it will be creased in thirds. Cut along each crease making 3 pieces. Then cut those in half, lengthwise. Cut each strip horizontally into squares. You should get 5-6 little squares out of each strip, 30-36 altogether.
  12. Brush the top of each pastry square with the beaten egg and lay them on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown (mine actually baked for only about 9 minutes).
  13. Take the baked pastries off the baking sheet, scatter the coconut across it, turn the oven down to 325, and toast the coconut for about 5 minutes. It will be fragrant and golden.
  14. To assemble the petit fours (you can assemble them in cupcake liners for ease), put down one square of pastry. Put about a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture on top. Spoon the lemon thyme pastry cream over the cheesecake layer. Place another pastry square on top. Another dollop of cream cheese, and another spoonful of lemon thyme pastry cream. Sprinkle toasted coconut on top.
  15. Refrigerate until you're ready to serve.
Notes
#1- An ice bath in my kitchen turned out to be a 9 X 13 cake pan full of ice with a little room to situate the heat-proof bowl in the middle
Recipe by Sugar Dish Me at https://www.sugardishme.com/lemon-thyme-cheesecake-petit-fours-with-toasted-coconut/