Strawberries and Cream Valentine Tarts

1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough

1/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. water
2 c. sliced strawberries

1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp. sugar
100ml (scant 1/2 c.) cold milk, 2% or whole
2 tsp. flour
2 tsp. corn starch
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. Amaretto, optional

Pastry Hearts:
Thaw pastry dough at room temp for 40 minutes.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly grease a large cookie sheet.  Place sheet of pastry dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Cut with large heart cookie cutter (5") and prick each heart with a fork, to allow steam to vent.  Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating halfway through, until golden.  Allow to cool completely.

Berry Topping:
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and water.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Stir in the berries and return mixture to a boil, lightly mashing the berries to flavor the syrup.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Pastry Cream:
In a medium-sized heatproof bowl, whisk the sugar and egg yolk together. (Do let the mixture sit too long or you will get pieces of egg forming.) Whisk the flour and cornstarch into the egg mixture, mixing until you get a smooth paste.

Meanwhile, in a separate medium saucepan, bring the milk just to boiling (just until milk starts to foam up.) Remove from heat and drizzle slowly into egg mixture, while whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Then pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly until it becomes thick. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in the vanilla and Amaretto. Use immediately or pour into a clean bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming.

To assemble:
Spread pastry cream onto each heart.  Then top with berry slices, arranging to lay flat and overlap toward the bottom of the heart shape.  Drizzle on any remaining strawberry syrup and serve immediately.

This printable recipe from A Teaspoon and A Pinch.