You will never buy danishes from the store again once you try these surprisingly easy-to-make ones. The citrusy and tangy cheese center goes so well with the buttery puff pastry. The lemon glaze on top adds just the right amount of sweetness.
Ingredients
4 sheets puff pastry
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon essence
Zest of one lemon
1 egg (for egg wash)
1 tablespoon milk (for egg wash)
Ingredients – Glaze
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Additional water
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, extracts, and zest. Beat together until smooth and fluffy.
Roll out the first section of puff pastry into a 10” by 10” square. Cut each piece in half and then cut the halves again into two pieces. Cut each of the four pieces in half. Hold two of the pieces on one end and twist the other end. Create a spiral by placing rolling one end around the other. Do not make a tight roll as the puff pastry will puff up. Repeat for the remaining puff pastry until all the shells are complete.
Press down the center of each danish with your fingers to create a spot for the filling. Poke with a fork a few times to prevent it from puffing up. Add one heaping tablespoon full of the filling in each center.
Brush each danish with an egg wash made by beating together the egg with the milk. Brush the top and side edges to get a golden brown colour.
Bake for 20 minutes and cool on a wire rack before glazing. To prepare the glaze, simply mix together the confectioners sugar and lemon juice, adding a few drops of water at a time until it reaches a drizzling consistency. Drizzle each danish with the glaze and serve.
Makes 16 danishes.
Patataki 