Sep 10 2009
Easy Cheese Danish
I used to have a really bad habit. A Starbucks habit. Not only did I endulge my habit every morning on my way to work, but somedays, I would even add a cheese danish to my order. I didn’t particularly even like their sweet dough recipe, but the cream cheese filling? That was a different story. I grabbed a spoon and ate the filling/topping and tossed the pastry portion.
Imagine my excitement when I saw the Barefoot Contessa recipe for Easy Cheese Danish.
Ina usually doesn’t let me down, but I wasn’t thrilled with this recipe. It just seemed kind of flat and rather uninteresting to me. And the filling ran all over the pan. I also tried her ramped up version that had added lemon zest to the cream cheese mixture (it was featured on her show) and followed the recipe exactly…still didn’t like it.
But, if you’re looking for a fast weekend cheese danish, you may want to give this recipe a shot.
Easy Cheese Danish
adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 c sugar
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg beaten with 1 T water, for egg wash
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400*F. Line baking sheet with parchment.
Beat cream cheese and sugar in mixing bowl (use paddle attachment if using stand mixer) on medium-low speed until smooth. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and salt, and continue to beat until just combined.
Lightly flour board and unfold the sheet of puff pastry. Dust with flour and roll out into a 10×10 inch square. Cut into quarters and place each quarter onto baking sheet. Place a spoonful of cream cheese mixture in the center of each square. Brush the edges of pastry with egg wash, then fold two opposite corners towards the center, one over the other. Pinch as best you can, then brush the folded portion with egg wash.
Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pan half-way through.
4 servings
These sound heavenly and they are on my list to try..soon!
I get bummed when a recipe that looks really good doesnt turn out. I have that with Nigella’s recipes. I bought her cookbook called How to be a domestic goddess and seriously she has let me down almost everytime..lol Atleast it was only one recipe. I remember watching Ina on the foodnetwork and loved to watch her cook.
thanks for putting up the post even if you found it wasn’t one you love – happens to the best of us. Would love to see more updates as you try more danish recipes!
I’m familiar with that cookbook – I’ve eyed it up a few times, but if the recipes don’t work, what’s the point? With Ina, 99% of the time I’m happy with the results…I’m not sure what the deal with this recipe is.
M, I figure sometimes the bad has to go up with the good. I find that when I see recipes on-line, the reviews often determine whether or not I make the recipe.
gracias i love this..i eat one every two days , gracias de verdad me encanta !!!
can i use fromage frais instead of cream cheese?
You can try it, but I don’t know how it would turn out…
I am a professional pastry chef and I would like to mention that many of these self proclaimed celebrity chefs have no professional trainning and you can find recipes they claim to be theirs all over the internet!
I know from my trainning what to look for………..such things as most tested professional chef recipes are in WEIGHT measurements and not volume such as cups etc.
One site has the individual making cheese danish using puff pastry……….danish is made with danish dough as titled such!
Another has the individual making Cannoli with cream cheese…………YUK! Traditional Cannoli is made with Impasta Ricotta Cheese………..there are no substitutes!
Personally, since the French are the masters, I prefer to search for the French recipes and more so, those that have Michelin ratings!