This freshly baked cheese danish is easily made with puff pastry and blends simplicity with elegance, delivering a bakery-quality brunch or breakfast pastry with minimal effort.
Prep Time: 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 25 minutesminutes
Total Time: 40 minutesminutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients
1poundbox frozen puff pastry, 2 sheets thawed
8ouncescream cheese, softened
3-4Tablespoonssugar, plus more for dusting
1egg yolk
1teaspoonjuice and zest
½teaspoonvanilla
Egg Wash
1large egg
2teaspoonswater
Glaze (optional)
½cup powdered sugar
2Tablespoonsheavy cream or milk
¼teaspoonvanilla
pinch of salt
Optional fillings: Cherry pie filling
Instructions
Preheat: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make filling: Combine the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, lemon juice, zest and vanilla in a bowl. Mix with a hand mixer until smooth.
Cut: Unroll the thawed pastry sheet and press seams together if needed. Cut into 4 squares. Press each corner in about an inch to form an octagon. Place on baking sheet.
Fill: Use a medium cookie scoop (or about 1 1/2 Tablespoons) to scoop and add filling into the center of the dough. Press fillings into cream if desired.
Egg wash: Whisk the egg and water in a small bowl. Brush on the tops of the dough. Then dust with a sprinkle of sugar.
Bake: Bake cheese danishes in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until golden. Let cool on a cooling rack.
Glaze: Whisk powdered sugar, cream and vanilla in a bowl until smooth. Drizzle on top of cooled danishes.
Notes
Storage: Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator up to 5 days or in the freezer up to 2 months. Variation: Add a spoonful of jam or fresh berries to the center for a different flavor variation.