Vibrant lemon pie filling is enveloped in a flaky, buttery, and delicious puff pastry shell. Baked until golden brown, these iced pastries are delicious and perfect for a warm-weather dessert.
I don’t know about you, but desserts made with puff pastry are my weakness! I just love the flaky layers of puff pastry. That’s why it is often a dough base for my desserts on this site. I personally enjoy the Pepperidge Farms brand because it bakes up to a golden-brown perfection each time. However, I have found that the Taste of Inspirations brand from Hannaford tastes identical. Some of my favorite desserts that feature this flaky puff pastry are these Iced Lemon Turnovers, Mini Muffin Tin Apple Pies, or these Puff Pastry Cream Squares.
But the real baking magic happens when you add some tangy, sweet, and vibrant lemon pie filling to the center of the pastry before baking. I used Comstock Lemon Creme pie filling, but if you cannot find it, you can use store-bought, or Homemade Lemon Curd.
I am a sucker for icing, so these puff pastry pie pockets were absolutely knock-your-sock-off-good once I added that beautiful drizzle. The pretty little sprinkles were purchased from Michaels, but they are optional. Around here, I always love to make things pretty or “extra” as some people say.
Lemon Puff Pastry Ingredients
Puff Pastry – This is what makes the airy, crispy, beautiful structure of this easy dessert. I have never tried to make my own because the store-bought frozen puff pastry is easier. For this dessert, my goal was “easy”.
Filling – Lemon is the star of this dessert, and I really like the Comstock Lemon Creme Pie filling. However, I also love homemade lemon curd which is easier to make than you think. But alas, I have tons of lemon pie filling since I stocked up on a sale.
Egg Wash – A much-needed step for that bakery-style, golden-brown top layer. All you need is a teaspoon of water, and a small egg. Whisk them together and then brush it on your assembled pastries. You will have extra and do not need to use it all.
Vanilla Icing Ingredients
Powdered Sugar – This is a finely grounded up granulated sugar that makes icing smooth and velvety. If your powdered sugar is lumpy, you will want to run it through a sifter.
Extract – Vanilla extract adds a flavor of warmth and vibrance to the icing. The flavor reminds me of comfort, and joy-don’t skimp on it.
Milk/Water – You can use either or for the icing. Personally, I never find a real difference between the two in my icing recipes.
Making Lemon Puff Pastry Pockets
Always preheat the oven and make sure the oven rack is set to the center position. I always like to remind people in case they broiled the night before.
Cut the pastry as shown into 6 rectangles- I used a pizza cutter, but a pastry cutter is probably a better idea.
Add about 2-3 tablespoons of lemon pie filling per rectangle half. Cover the filling with another piece of puff pastry.
Use a fork to seal around the edges. Brush with egg wash for that golden-brown magic.
Bake for 20-22 minutes or until pastry is puffy, golden-brown, and feels flaky and not doughy when gently touched.
Once baked, cool, mix the icing, and then add the sweet deliciousness to each pastry. I like to ice mine on the wire rack with the baking sheet underneath to catch the sweet and quick to harden sugar drips.
Storing Puff Pastry Desserts
Making and eating puff pastry desserts is the best part but storing them is not too fun. The reason being is that they lose their “crisp” after 24 hours. If you have extras, I suggest you store them exactly as written below for best results.
Room Temperature – Store them in an airtight container once fully cooled. Please note, they WILL not ever be as crisp and delicious as they were on day one. They also only keep about 36 hours max so please don’t keep them on the counter longer or they will feel soggy.
Freezer – The beauty of these puff pastry pockets is that they will store in the freezer nicely if stored properly. Once the icing is set, gently add them to an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 30 days. I personally use a Food Saver for mine, but I manually remove the air, so they aren’t squashed into an oblivion. They last up to 3 months when all air is removed with a Food Saver.
More Puff Pastry Desserts to Try Today
Iced Lemon Puff Pastry Pockets
Equipment
- large baking sheet
- wire cooling rack
- pastry cutter
- Spoon
- can opener
- Oven *adjusted to the center rack position
Ingredients
- 17.3 ounces puff pastry thawed
- 1 cup lemon pie filling *can also use lemon curd
- 1 large egg *whisk with a teaspoon of water to create an egg wash
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons water *or milk
- 1 teaspoon yellow and white sprinkles *optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unfold the puff pastry and cut it lengthwise along the fold. You will have three strips.
- Cut the strips in half to make a total of 6 rectangles. Repeat this step with the additional pastry sheet. Each box comes with two sheets.
- Add about 2-3 tablespoons of lemon pie filling per rectangle half. Cover the filling with another piece of puff pastry.
- Use a fork to seal around the edges. Brush with egg wash.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until pastry is puffy, golden-brown, and feels flaky and not doughy when gently touched.
- Once baked, transfer pastry to a cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes before icing.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract,
- Pour over cooled pastries and spinkle on white and yellow sprinkles.
- Icing takes about 15 minutes to set. Enjoy!
Leave a Reply