Easy Cheese Danish

Show: Barefoot ContessaEpisode: The Magic Factor

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (61)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(61)

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
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
recipe Easy Cheese Danish
Chrissy Cincinnati, OH 11-01-2009
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Very simple and delicious!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Thanks for a great recipe, Ina! Very easy to make and better than store bought danish. YUMMILICIOUS!
recipe Easy Cheese Danish
Sonja Ashland, OR 10-16-2009
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Versatiel, Scrumptious, and YES, easy!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this three different ways and it came out perfectly each time. I took other viewers suggestions and made sure the... filling was chilled thoroughly (at least 1-2 hours). The first time, I cut the puff pastry lengthways into thirds then horizontally into thirds again to make nine bite size pastries. I placed a thin layer of raspberry jam on the puff pastry before topping it with the filling and sealing. I suggest you mound the filling in the center and don't spread it out or it might leak. Next time I made it exactly as Ina wrote it (with only the cheese filling, but again making sure it was completely chilled). The last time I rolled it out again as written then cut it lenthwise along the seams into thirds and used only two of the pieces (kept the third piece to make something else). Then I put a thin layer of apricot jam on the bottom half of one of the pieces and spread a good heaping mound down the center of the puff pastry and topped with the other piece to make one long 10" pastry. Did the egg wash, etc. and baked then cut it into portion size pieces. Each version is out of this world and it never leaked a drop!! Make it, you won't be disappointed. Read more
recipe Easy Cheese Danish
Susan Des Moines, WA 10-13-2009
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Fabulous, of course
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I was making this recipe to take to work. I rolled wach sheet of puff pastry a little thinner, then cut each sheet into 16... squares. I pressed each square into a mini muffin tin, applied the egg was, and then filled them. In about 15 minutes they were brown and beautiful. This way, those that want just a tast can have one, and others can have two or several.Read more
recipe Easy Cheese Danish
Erika Scottsdale, AZ 10-13-2009
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sooo gooood!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

These are delicious and worth the effort. 1)Make sure to use the right puff pastry dough. Pepperidge Farms makes a good... one-and it is the right sheet size too. 2)The filling is great as a base along with (store bought) lemon custard or preserves-- or used alone. 3) If you do not like lemon don't add it. But it might be too light in flavor without it. Next time I will add almond paste to the filling as an experiment. 4)Many people have said the filling is delicate and not so sweet--this is true. It is not an overpowering sweet, but if you drizzle icing (provided in another comment) after baking and cooling it comes out perfectly sweet and melts in your mouth. If you add lemon to the icing you really get the lemon flavor popping! 5) make sure you only fold in 2 corners of the pastry and seal them well. if the filling oozes no big deal. Better to have enough filling than not enough and too much dough. The ratio is important. 6)I made these large and small and I liked both--your choice. enjoy! it's a great recipe.Read more