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Easy Cheese Danish

This recipe details how to make easy cheese danishes using frozen puff pastry and a simple, rich cream cheese filling flavored with lemon zest and vanilla. The pastries are assembled by folding squares of pastry over the filling, brushed with egg wash, chilled briefly, and then baked until golden and puffed.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine nordic
Servings 8 people
Calories 2616.5 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Electric Mixer fitted with paddle attachment
  • 1 Sheet Pan
  • 1 Parchment Paper for lining sheet pan
  • 1 Rolling Pin
  • 1 Sharp Knife or pizza cutter

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 extra-large egg yolks at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest 2 lemons
  • 2 sheets 1 box frozen puff pastry, defrosted
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  • Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream them together on low speed until smooth. With the mixer still on low, add the egg yolks, ricotta, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix until just combined. Don't whip!
  • Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until it's a 10 by 10-inch square. Cut the sheet into quarters with a sharp knife. Place a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling into the middle of each of the 4 squares. Brush the border of each pastry with egg wash and fold 2 opposite corners to the center, brushing and overlapping the corners of each pastry so they firmly stick together. Brush the top of the pastries with egg wash. Place the pastries on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry and refrigerate the filled Danish for 15 minutes.
  • Bake the pastries for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking, until puffed and brown. Serve warm.

Notes

Ensure cream cheese, egg yolks, and ricotta are at room temperature for a smooth, lump-free filling. Do not overmix the filling once the wet ingredients are added; mix only until just combined to prevent whipping air into it. Keep puff pastry cold until ready to roll and fill; cold pastry yields the flakiest results. Brush the edges and tops generously with egg wash for proper sealing and a beautiful golden-brown finish. Refrigerating the assembled danishes before baking helps the pastry hold its shape and contributes to flakiness.