The Little Mermaid Recipe

The sparkly stars that many families use to top their trees resemble the starfishes Ariel loves spotting under the sea. These star-shaped pastries, studded with sweet cream cheese filling and berries, make a festive and surprisingly simple breakfast during the holidays.

Ingredients

• 200g strawberries, sliced

• 50g granulated sugar, plus 1 tsp for the strawberries

• 115g cream cheese

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

• 2 large eggs

• 1 pack of puff pastry (480g)

• Flour, for dusting

Equipment

• 8 to 10 cm star cookie cutter

Method

1. Preheat the oven to (degrees) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the strawberries and 1 teaspoon of sugar, then set aside.

3. In another bowl, stir together the cream cheese, vanilla, 1 egg, and the remaining sugar until smooth, then set aside.

4. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry dough on a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to gently smooth out any cracks. Cut the dough into 5 stars and arrange them on one of the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. If needed, gather and reroll the dough as you work. Repeat the steps with the remaining sheet of dough.

5. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining egg and 1 tablespoon water. With an adult's help, use a paring knife to make score lines around the center of each star. Use the lines as a guide to add a heaped tablespoon of the cream cheese filling to each star. Top each with a few berry slices and brush the arms of the stars with the egg wash.

6. Place the stars in the oven and bake until golden brown, this should take between 12 to 15 minutes. Leave to cool slightly before serving.