These Puff Pastry Shamrocks are the ideal dessert for your Saint Patrick's Day celebration. Flaky layers of puff pastry are stuffed with a Baileys Irish Cream Cheese filling and a hint of green food coloring to add to a festive atmosphere. With minimal effort, you can create these impressive-looking pastries that are sure to please your guests.
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These shamrock puff pastries are convenient to serve at gatherings as they can be eaten by hand without the need for utensils. They are the perfect addition to any Irish-themed dessert table.
Ingredients
- Puff pastry: you may purchase premade puff pastry dough or consider making your own using my quick puff pastry recipe.
- Green food coloring: a few drops of food coloring is added to the Cream Cheese Baileys filling. This step is optional but it adds to the appeal of the dessert.
- Granulated sugar: used both for the filling and to sprinkle over the top of each shamrock prior to baking.
- Eggs: you need one egg for the pastry filling. An additional egg is whipped lightly and used to help seal the shamrocks and as a wash over the pastry prior to baking.
- Cream Cheese: use a full-fat cream cheese. Bring the cream cheese to room temperature before making the filling. This ensures you have a lump-free filling.
- Baileys Irish Cream: you only need one tablespoon of the liquor to flavor the filling. Small bottles of Baileys are available in many liquor stores.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Make filling: Place cream cheese, granulated sugar, an egg and Baileys Irish Cream in a bowl. Mix until well combined. The filling may be mixed using a hand mixer or a stand mixer.
Add 2 drops of green food coloring, Mix well. Add more food coloring if a deeper green filling is desired. Transfer filling to a pastry bag and set aside.
Unfold defrosted puff pastry sheets and place on a lightly floured surface. Using the shamrock cookie cutter, cut five shamrocks from each sheet of puff pastry (note: you may get more shamrocks based on the size of your cookie cutter).
Pipe the cream cheese Baileys filling onto half of the shamrocks. Pipe the filling until it is approximately ¼" from the edge of the shamrocks. Be careful to not overfill or the filling may seep out during baking.
Lightly whip an egg. Using a pastry brush, apply a bit of the egg to the edges of each pastry filled with cream.
Carefully place another puff pastry shamrock over the filled shamrock. Lightly press the edges together using your fingers.
Use a fork around the edges to finish sealing the pastry. Seal well as this will prevent the filling from seeping out during baking.
Use a pastry brush to lightly apply the whipped egg to the top of each pastry. Sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar. Place shamrocks on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a heat-resistant silicon mat. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes at 400° F (shamrocks will be golden brown and well-risen).
Storage
The Puff Pastry Shamrocks with Baileys Irish Cream are best served the day they are made. After cooling, store in an airtight container until ready to serve.
This dessert does not hold up well to freezing.
FAQ
Yes - simply use a gluten-free puff pastry dough. A few commercial brands are available including the Schar brand (most often found in your grocer's freezer aisle).
Love puff pastry desserts?
Looking for other puff pastry dessert recipes? Check out the following recipes:
"May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow, and may trouble avoid you wherever you go." Author unknown
📋 Recipe
Puff Pastry Shamrocks with Baileys Irish Cream
Equipment
- 1 Shamrock Cookie Cutter (2½" to 3" cookie cutter)
- 1 Hand or stand mixer
- 1 Pastry piping bag
- 1 Baking Sheet Pan
Ingredients
Tart Shell
- 2 Sheets Puff Pastry, defrosted
- 1 Large Egg, whipped lightly For brushing on pastry
Baileys Cream Cheese Filling
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese, full fat Room temperature
- ⅛ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Baileys Irish Cream Add 2 additional teaspoons of Baileys for a more intense flavor
- 1 Large Egg Room temperature
- 2 - 4 drops Green food coloring
Pastry Topping
- 1 Large Egg, lightly whisked
- 1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°
Cream Cheese Filling
- Add cream cheese, granulated sugar, egg and Baileys Irish Cream to a bowl. Mix until no lumps remain.
- Add 2 drops of green food coloring, Mix well. Add more food coloring if a deeper green filling is desired. Transfer filling to a pastry bag and set aside.
Create Shamrocks
- Unfold defrosted puff pastry sheets and place on a lightly floured surface.
- Using the shamrock cookie cutter, cut five shamrocks from each sheet of puff pastry (note: you may get more shamrocks based on the size of your cookie cutter).
- Pipe the cream cheese Baileys filling onto half of the shamrocks. Pipe the filling until it is approximately ¼" from the edge of the shamrocks. Be careful to not overfill or the filling may seep out during baking.
- Lightly whip an egg. Using a pastry brush, apply a bit of the egg to the edges of each pastry filled with cream.
- Carefully place another puff pastry shamrock over the filled shamrock. Lightly press the edges together. Use a fork around the edges to finish sealing the pastry.
- Use a pastry brush to lightly apply the whipped egg to the top of each pastry. Sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.
Bake Shamrocks
- Place shamrocks on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a heat-resistant silicon mat.
- Bake for 12 - 14 minutes. Pastries will be golden brown and well risen. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before serving (approximately 20 minutes).
Notes
- Seal the pastries well before baking to ensure filling does not seep out.
- Shamrock pastries are best made the day they are baked. After cooling, store in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Food safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Justine says
Stop it.....these were so cute and fun to make! My kids loved them and now they want to make them in all sorts of shapes.
Sheenia Denae | Lifestyle Blogger says
Fun and delicious, love it! Thanks for sharing.