Easy Cheese Danish

Show: Barefoot ContessaEpisode: The Magic Factor

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (65)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(65)

Cook Time:
20 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
8 Danish

Times:

Prep: 10 min
Inactive Prep: 15 min
Cook: 20 min
Total:: 45 min

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Ingredients

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

Directions

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.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Easy Cheese Danish
Jean Lancaster, TX 11-14-2009
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OH BABY!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

These are the best danish we have ever eaten! Thanks, Ina, for a small quantity recipe. I made all the filling the night... before so it was well chilled. I like that I can make 4 at a time. Will make the other 4 tomorrow morning. Yes, the filling did leak out but not too bad. It baked onto the danish. Thanks to those who provided the drizzle icing recipe. That was the icing on the "cake"! As for what to do with an almost full container of ricotta cheese that's left, make lasagna, stuffed shells, manicotti or try a new recipe! My husband is going to want these danish every weekend!Read more
recipe Easy Cheese Danish
Nadia Lawrenceville, GA 11-12-2009
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Can I freeze these?
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

Can I make these ahead for a party? Can I stuff the filling in the puff pasty and put them in the freezer till I am ready to... bake them? Read more
recipe Easy Cheese Danish
Betty Flushing, NY 11-08-2009
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Bakery Quality!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

These danishes are super easy and delicious. They are better than the cheese danishes at our local bakery. I will be making... these again and again and again!Read more
recipe Easy Cheese Danish
cathy rochester, IL 11-08-2009
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5 star plus
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

the danish was out of this world.its like going to a good bakery and getting the same thing.ina's the best.
recipe Easy Cheese Danish
Dina Aurora, IL 11-07-2009
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I will make these again....
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I read many of the other reviews before making them the first time. I strayed a little from Ina's recipe. I increased the... ricotta to 3T, reduced the lemon zest to 1/4t. Since I used large eggs instead of extra large, I used 3 egg yolks. My filling was not runny, it was thick. I chilled it and also the danish before baking. I didn't have any over flow and I brushed egg after they were chilled and the color was fine. I used one sheet of pastry and made 9 danish. I baked them for 16-17 mins. I did have some left over filling but not that much. Because my filling was thicker it puffed up during baking but settled down when it cooled. I will agree with the others; this is NOT an overly sweet danish. I sprinkled them with powdered sugar but I think next time I will drizzle icing instead. I might try some cherry pie filling also. I think its a forgiving recipe so you can modify to your taste and still have a good end result. The recipe is a good foundation. Thanks Ina.....Read more
recipe Easy Cheese Danish
Courtney Norfolk, VA 11-07-2009
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Ina is the best!!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

AMAZING!!!!!!! Easy and fun to make. I made double the recipe and my boyfriend and I have almost finished them in one day... lol. Great the next day too. Cant wait to try them with a raspberry filling!!Read more