Description
Enjoy a delightful homemade Cheese Danish with flaky, buttery pastry and a creamy sweet filling. This recipe combines a tender, buttery dough with a smooth cream cheese mixture, baked to golden perfection, making it an irresistible treat perfect for breakfast or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/4 cup cold water
Cheese Filling
- 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to blend the ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
- Form the dough: Gradually add 1/4 cup of cold water, mixing until the dough comes together without overworking it. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
- Roll and cut: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle. Cut the dough into 4×4 inch squares.
- Make the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract, stirring until you achieve a smooth, creamy filling.
- Assemble the Danishes: Place about a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each dough square. Fold each corner toward the center to form a pocket and pinch to seal the edges securely.
- Apply egg wash: In a small bowl, whisk the beaten egg and milk together, then brush the egg wash over each Danish to give them a golden, glossy finish.
- Bake: Place the Danishes on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until they are golden brown and puffed.
- Cool and serve: Allow the Danishes to cool slightly on a wire rack before serving to let the filling set and to enjoy their optimal texture.
Notes
- For added sweetness, drizzle a simple glaze made from powdered sugar and milk over cooled Danishes.
- Add fruit preserves or fresh berries into the cream cheese filling for extra flavor and variety.
- Ensure the butter remains cold to achieve a flaky pastry texture.
- Handle the dough gently to avoid activating too much gluten, which keeps the pastry tender.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Danish (approx. 1/8 of recipe)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0.3g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
