Puff Pastry Fruit and Cream Cheese Danish
Shortcut danishes that use puff pastry to avoid most of the work, topped with fruit, cream cheese, and almond slivers or a glaze.
Equipment
- Sharp Knife
- Rolling Pin
- Mixing Bowl
- Baking Sheet
- Pastry Brush
Ingredients
- 1 Sheet Frozen Puff Pastry Thawed but still chilled.
- 4 Oz. Cream Cheese Room Temperature
- 2 Tbsp White Sugar
- ½ Tsp Vanilla Extract
- ½ Cup Fruit Topping See post for compote recipe; alternatively, use jam.
- 1 Egg White
- ½ Tbsp Milk
- 1 Tsp Demerara Sugar Or another finishing sugar (Optional)
- ⅓ Cup Powdered Sugar Optional; for a glaze.
- 1 Tbsp Milk Optional; for a glaze.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400℉.
- Prepare your dough. Unroll it and then lightly roll it out flat. Cut it into however many pieces you want your final danish count to be. Return to the fridge to keep chilled while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.
- In another bowl, beat together the egg white and milk.
- Using your knife, lightly score -- but don't cut all the way through -- around the edges of the pastry, about half an inch in. You're drawing a border; inside it will be your topping, and outside it will puff up.Use a fork to poke the center of the pastry to help prevent it from puffing up, leaving the border unmarred.
- Spread about 2 tsp of your cream cheese into the center of each danish (assuming you're doing 8 like I was. Adjust appropriately.)
- Spoon your fruit topping over the top of the cream cheese.
- Using your pastry brush, lightly brush the borders of the dough with the egg wash, and sprinkle with finishing sugar if you want.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed up and golden around the outside.
- Remove and let cool for at least 10 minutes before enjoying.
- Optional: Mix the remaining milk and powdered sugar into a simple glaze to drizzle over the danishes, or top with chopped almonds.