Description
Danish pastry chefs perfected this cherry cream cheese danish with delicate, flaky layers and rich, tangy filling. Homemade comfort waits when you create this classic European treat in your own kitchen.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 sheet (8 oz/225 g) puff pastry, thawed
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (120 g) cherry pie filling
- 1 egg
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsps granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 400F (200C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, creating a pristine workspace for crafting delicate pastries.
- Pastry Formation: Unfurl puff pastry on a flour-dusted surface, trimming into four symmetrical squares or maintaining a rustic whole-sheet approach, ensuring smooth, crease-free texture.
- Cream Cheese Filling: Whip cream cheese with sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until achieving a luxuriously smooth and creamy consistency that will elevate the Danish’s flavor profile.
- Assembly: Position a generous dollop of cream cheese mixture in the pastry’s center, top with vibrant cherry pie filling, then artfully fold corners inward, creating an elegant parcel that cradles the luscious ingredients.
- Egg Wash and Baking: Brush pastry edges with egg-milk mixture to promote a golden-brown exterior, then bake for 15-20 minutes until the Danish rises majestically and develops a crisp, amber-toned crust.
- Finishing Touch: Once slightly cooled, drizzle with a decadent glaze crafted from powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract, adding a glistening, sweet finale to these irresistible pastries.
Notes
- Select Quality Ingredients: Use fresh, high-quality cream cheese and real butter puff pastry for the most luxurious texture and rich flavor profile.
- Manage Pastry Temperature: Keep puff pastry chilled until just before use to ensure optimal flakiness and prevent butter from melting prematurely during preparation.
- Control Filling Consistency: Avoid overloading pastry squares with cream cheese mixture to prevent soggy centers and ensure clean, crisp edges during baking.
- Customize Fruit Options: Swap cherry pie filling with fresh seasonal berries, blueberry compote, or apricot preserves for versatile flavor variations that suit different taste preferences.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Danish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg