A favorite bakery pastry that you can now easily make at home!

Easy Cheese Danish

There are things in life you assume you can never do. Maybe you tried once and failed, or maybe it’s something that’s always seemed out of reach so you’ve never even attempted.

For example, I can’t do a cartwheel. Never have been able to. I tried as a kid, but ended up on my back in the grass while my much more nimble friends’ legs gracefully arched over their bodies and landed firmly on the ground.

I didn’t exactly think I couldn’t make a cheese danish, but the thought didn’t occur to me that I could even try until recently. Who actually makes a danish? A danish is something you enjoy at a bakery, it’s not something you make in your own kitchen.

Easy Cheese Danish

Easy Cheese Danish

Turns out, not only can you make one yourself, but you can do so quite easily and in under thirty minutes. For the pastry, simply use frozen puff pastry sheets. And the filling is just a mixture of cream and ricotta cheeses, sugar, egg yolks, and a bit of lemon zest. Super easy and quite tasty. I love anything that involves flaky pastry and a creamy filling.

Easy Cheese Danish

I may not ever be able to do a cartwheel, and I’m okay with that. I can’t do everything. But I know I can whip up a pretty decent breakfast, and that’s come in much more handy. Coffee cakes, muffins, donuts, pancakes, scones, crepes, biscuits, and now danishes.

You never know what you can or can’t do until you try.

Easy Cheese Danish

Easy Cheese Danishes

Servings: 8 pastries
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
A favorite bakery pastry that you can now easily make at home!

Ingredients
 

Danishes:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese , at room temperature (226 grams)
  • cup granulated sugar (80 grams)
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 2 sheets frozen puff pastry , thawed
  • 1 egg ,lightly beaten, for egg wash

For the icing:

  • ½ cup powdered sugar (70 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon milk

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  • Mix together the cream cheese and sugar together until combined and creamy. Add the egg yolks, ricotta cheese, vanilla extract, coarse salt, and lemon zest and mix until combined.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll one puff pastry sheet out to be about 10 inches square. Cut the pastry into quarters and spoon a heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each piece of pastry. Working with each pastry square, fold two opposite corners of the pastry together, overlapping and pressing them together to seal well. Brush each pastry with the egg wash. Repeat with the remaining sheet of puff pastry.
  • Place the pastries on the prepared sheet pan, at least 1 inch apart. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly.
  • To make the icing, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and milk and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over the pastries.
  • The danishes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten.
Calories: 529kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 103mg, Sodium: 330mg, Potassium: 89mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 492IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 2mg
Cuisine: French
Course: Breakfast
Author: Annalise
Have you tried this recipe?I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.