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A piece of cheese Danish with fruit filling on a yellow plate, with the rest of the Danish and a cup of coffee nearby.
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4.94 / 16 votes

Cheese Danish

This cheese Danish is made from store-bought puff pastry and a filling of cream cheese, sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt. It’s easy and perfect for Hanukkah and Christmas and Easter and weekends and, okay, any time.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 to 12 servings
Calories: 295

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces (1 1/4 cups) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 large egg, separated
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup your favorite fruit jam
  • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, fully thawed (instructions below are for Pepperidge Farm puff pastry; if using Dufour, see the FAQs above)
  • Flour, for dusting
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Crank the oven to 400°F (200°C).
  • Plop the cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl and beat with a handheld mixer until smooth. Set aside.
  • Lightly sprinkle a nonstick baking mat or a piece of parchment with flour.
    A floured silpat mat.
  • Unfold the puff pastry on the parchment paper, and with a rolling pin, roll it out to a 12-by-15-inch (32-by-38-centimeter) rectangle. Check frequently so it doesn't stick.
    A rolled out sheet of puff pastry, a ruler, and a rolling pin.
  • Make sure the 12-inch side of the pastry is nearest you. Lightly press a ruler into the dough, making three 4-inch-wide vertical columns, being careful not to press completely through the dough.
    A sheet of puff pastry scored into three sections with a ruler above it to guide.
  • Spread the cream cheese filling on the center column, leaving a 1-inch (2 1/2-centimeter) border on the top and bottom edges of the column.
    Cheese filling being spread down the length of a sheet of puff pastry.
  • Spoon a column of jam down the middle of the filling.
    A person spreading jam over cheese filling on a sheet of puff pastry.
  • Fold the top edge of the pastry down to cover 1/2 inch (2 centimeters) of the filling. 
    Strips of puff pastry being folded over a cheese and jam filling to make a Danish.
  • Cut 3/4-inch horizontal slits (or fringe, if you will) down the left and right columns.
  • Now, it's just a matter of simply plaiting. Fold the top right strip diagonally across the filling. Do the same with the top left strip, overlapping the right strip.
    Strips of puff pastry being folded over a cheese and jam filling to make a Danish.
  • Repeat this right-left, right-left folding down the Danish until the last two strips.
    An assembled but unbaked cheese Danish with fruit filling.
  • Fold the bottom lip of the pastry up 1/2 inch (2 centimeters) over the filling to seal it, then cross the last 2 strips over each other upward.
  • Beat the reserved egg white and lightly brush it on the pastry.
    A person brushing a cheese Danish with beaten egg white.
  • Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Slide cheese Danish and baking mat onto a baking sheet.
    A person sprinkling sugar over an unbaked cheese Danish.
  • Bake until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the sheet to a rack to cool. Serve warm.

Notes

  1. Storage--Leftover cheese Danish can be stored, wrapped in foil, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in a 350°F oven until heated through.
  2. Extra filling--If you've got extra filling, use it to fill turnovers or hand pies.
  3. Puff pastry brands--The above recipe was designed with the Pepperidge Farm brand in mind. If you use a different brand of pastry, note the weight and dimensions. You may need to trim it slightly to work with the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 219mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 12g