Here I go again offering another recipe some of you would never consider building. But if truth be known, I love Danishes (OK, pastry of any kind), so I keep on trying new ones. And this recipe produces what is undoubtedly the best example of a true cheese Danish that I have ever prepared. (And yes, I think about cheese Danishes way too much!) And maybe that’s why I already have three Danish recipes (Individual Jam Filled Cream Cheese Danish Pastry, Cream Cheese Danish, Dried Cranberry and Almond Braided Danish) already on this site.
When I say I consider the results of this recipe to be a true Danish, it’s because it’s made with puff pastry. Homemade puff pastry. Now don’t panic! Believe me, if I can make this easy puff pastry, you can too. All you need is some flour, butter, and a willingness to try anything once! And trust me, after you’ve made this puff pastry, you will wonder what the big deal was all about. And granted, a “real” pastry chef would probably laugh at this recipe. Chuckle all you want, is all I have to say. Because this recipe produces a pretty darn good puff pastry. Of course, I have had better in Paris, but for homemade, it’s darned acceptable. And don’t even get me started on the puff pastry that comes from the frozen section of your grocery store. Not an ounce of real butter in the whole thing. (For more on the reality of what you are really getting when you buy frozen puff pastry, read my post for Cinnamon Twists.)
So, now that I have you chomping at the bit to build your own puff pastry, let me further tempt your taste buds with the filling. It’s luscious. There’s nothing more that needs to be said. And the tiny bit of drizzle over the whole pastry – yum!
As always, treat yourself every so often to a new or lovingly remembered treat. We are only on this planet for a very short time. Religiously restricting yourself to only foods that are healthy and good for you is not going to prevent the onset of old age or prevent you from getting a debilitating disease. Of course, using moderation or not eating something that is truly harmful to you is simply being responsible. But a pastry or French fries or a cookie once in a while, simply makes life worth living.
Peace and love to all.
And thank you Sam at sugarspunrun.com for this marvelous recipe. And sorry for the couple of minor changes I made.
Homemade Puff Pastry: (equivalent of one box of puff pastry)
2¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed
1 T. granulated sugar
1 tsp. sea salt
1 c. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
8-9 T. ice water, or more as needed
Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Using a box grater, grate the butter into the flour mixture, briefly tossing the butter each time you’ve shredded about ½ stick so that it doesn’t clump together.
Once you’ve grated all of your butter, stir briefly until all of the butter is evenly mixed into the flour mixture. (A table knife works great for this step.)
While stirring by hand, (do not use an electric mixer or over-mix this recipe) slowly drizzle ice water into the flour/butter mixture. Add just enough ice water so that if you pinch the dough it will hold its shape and not fall apart. (Start with 8 tablespoons.) All of the flour should be mixed into the dough, but the dough should still appear very dry and shaggy. If the mixture is still dry and crumbly and not sticking to itself when pressed after you have added 8 tablespoons, add additional water one teaspoon at a time. (My dough took 9 tablespoons.) Take care not to overwork the dough or it will be tough.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and work the dough together with your palms to make dough cling together. Work (with your palm) into a 6×3” rectangle (it will almost look like a brick!). The dough will not look perfect. In fact, there should be chunks of butter showing. Cracks in the dough are fine too.
Wrap dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Once dough has chilled, roll into an 8×12-inch rectangle.
Fold dough into thirds (like you are folding a letter), rotate 90 degrees, and then roll dough into an 8×12-inch rectangle again. (Use as little flour on your rolling surface as possible,)
Fold into thirds again and repeat this process of folding and rolling until you have done four turns of your dough.
Wrap dough with plastic wrap and return to refrigerator to chill for at least 30 more minutes before using as directed below. While the pastry is resting, prepare the filling and egg wash.
Please note: This puff pastry may be stored in the refrigerator for several days or it may be frozen (make sure to wrap it well) for several months and then thawed in the refrigerator before using.
Filling:
8 oz. (1 pkg.) cream cheese, room temp.
½ c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
¾ tsp. vanilla extract
Stir all the ingredients together until smooth. Set aside.
Egg Wash:
1 egg white
1 tsp. water
Whisk together. Set aside.
Build the Danishes:
Divide the puff pastry into 2 even parts (If using homemade puff pastry cut the dough widthwise. If using store-bought dough it will already be divided into two even sheets for you).
Roll first half of puff pastry into a 12×12” square (about 1/16” thick). Cut into 4 even-sized squares. (I use a pizza cutter for this step.)
Transfer squares onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Using a #30 ice cream scoop (teal handle), drop balls of filling onto the center of each square of dough. If you don’t have an ice cream scoop, dollop about two tablespoons filling into the center of each square. Spread the filling out a bit using the back of a spoon. Fold the corners over the center of the filling, leaving a space about ¼” thick in the center and between corners. Brush egg wash generously over the top of the puff pastry dough.
Place in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 18-20 minutes or until light golden brown. Pastries will puff up considerably while baking but will settle as they cool. Repeat steps with second half of puff pastry dough. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze.
Remove from oven and allow to cool before drizzling with glaze.
Vanilla Glaze:
1 c. powdered sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
3-5 tsp. whole milk
Whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk together until you have reached desired thickness. Drizzle glaze generously over cooled cheese Danishes.
Chocolate Glaze:
1 c. powdered sugar
2 T. cocoa powder
½ tsp. vanilla extract
3-5 tsp. whole milk
Whisk the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and enough milk together until you have reached desired thickness. Drizzle glaze generously over cooled cheese Danishes.