Cheese Danish – so easy!!
For years I have wanted to make my own pastries at home. But just the look of a cheese danish seem so complicated. So I went without them, as where I live we don’t have any good bakeries that sell pastry. Then I was inspired by an Barefoot Contessa episode and then shortly after that I read a recipe for them in Every Day with Rachel Ray magazine and I said I can do that too!
The recipe is so easy thanks to using frozen puff pastry and a few simple ingrediants! You can alter the filling as you see fit – add in different flavors – almond paste, lemon zest, cinnamon…..and for the fruit – same thing, choose what flavor you like. Next time I am going to try them with some fudge sauce for a chocolaty danish! Just make sure the jam is not to thin as it will spread too much.
Homemade Cheese Danish
4 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners sugar (separated)
1 egg yolk at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Zest of 1 lemon
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (defrosted in fridge overnight)
4 teaspoons jam (blueberry, raspberry, etc.)
1 egg beaten with a little water for egg wash
2 tablespoons cream or milk
1. Preheat oven 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat. Put the cream cheese and 1/4 cup of the sugar in mixer and beat on low until smooth. Beat in egg yolk, vanilla, salt and lemon zest.
2. Unfold puff pastry on lightly floured work surface, and roll out to a 10″ x 10″ square. Using a sharp knife cut into 4 squares. Evenly place dollops of the cream cheese mixture into the middle of each square. Top each with 1 teaspoon of jam. With a pastry brush, spread the egg wash around the boarders of the pastry, and fold two opposite corners together so they overlap and pinch lightly to seal together. Brush the tops of pastry with egg wash. Using a metal spatula transfer the pastries to the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Bake pastries about 18-20 minutes until puffed and lightly brown. Cool completely.
3. In a small bowl combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the cream. Place in a ziplock bag, cut small hole in one corner to make a pastry bag and drizzle over pastries.
Again you can experiment with this recipe. To double use 8 oz. cream cheese, 2 egg yolks and 2 sheets puff pastry. My family loved them, and wanted to know when we were going to have them again!
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Tags: cheese danish, homemade pastry
yummm… feel like taking the picture out from my monitor and eat it right away !!! haha
May be I will try it some day…. I found you from SITS, do visit my blog and it would also be great if you enter in my giveaway too!!! http://artisan-designs-at-shopganesh.blogspot.com/2010/02/thursday-giveaway-time.html
It is a very pretty necklace that I made it myself… my fav one too =))
Thanks for the post! I will go to to your blog now to enter!! I love handmade jewls!
Oooh that looks delish! And it seems pretty do-able… I may have to have a kitchen adventure!
BTW, stopping by from the Lady Blogger Society’s tea party!
Fun tea party right? It was super easy – and so yummy. I want to make some more! Have a great day!
YUMMMMMMMY! This looks amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
These look delish!!!
Thanks for stopping by my blog and for following. I’m following you too!
Thank you for stopping by my blog! I will have to get my Human to make those. Please give some butter to your dobie!
So easy! Though I was expecting to see the recipe for the puff pastry, too. I guess it’s not really one of those things where it’s worth making it oneself.
Every chef I have every heard talking about puff pastry always says it is just not worth the effort to make puff pastry itself…..just to buy the pepperidge farm frozen ones! Yes, easy and yummy! Thanks for the comment Christa!
making the danish tonight! hahah A project at 930-but they looked sooo good. I will tell you in the am if I can bake.. BTW hope it doesn’t have to be a room temp yolk or defrosted overnight. I couldn’t wait. Plus the kids are asleep! Hope I don’t eat them all..
I can do it…They were SO GOOD! Thanks Wendy! I only had one problem. They didn’t look as nice as yours. I will have to make them again!
Yeah Love!! That is great – I knew you could do it! I have been telling my mom for years that my pies don’t look as good as hers – they taste good – but not look as good. She tells me it’s all in the practice – the more you make pastry items – the better they will come out. You will start to get a feel for the dough, but it takes making it a few times to get it! What flavor sauce did you make the danish with?