Easy Apple Cheese Danish
Bursting with apple pie, cheesecake, and the butteriest puff pastry base, this easy apple cheese Danish is sure to wow at your next brunch.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the Danishes:
- 2 Sheets Puff Pastry, thawed in the refrigerator
- 8 Ounces Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
- ⅓ Cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 Large Egg Yolk
- 10 Ounces Apple Pie Filling (half of a 20 ounce can)
- 1 Large Egg, beaten, for egg wash
- Coarse Sugar, for dusting
For the Glaze:
- 1 Teaspoon Salted Butter, melted
- ½ Cup Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 3-4 Teaspoons Heavy Cream
- ½ Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Begin by thawing two sheets of puff pastry, either in the refrigerator or the microwave per the instructions on the box {until cold but no longer frozen}.
- Gently roll each sheet slightly to flatten. Using a pizza cutter, slice diagonal lines into the outer sides of each pastry sheet {see photo below}. Cut off the corners to make the folding of the pastry easier as well.
- Beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and egg yolk in a small bowl until smooth, about 20 seconds. Divide the batter evenly onto each of the two pastry sheets, ensuring that it stays in the middle and avoids the putter edges. Spoon half of the apple pie filling onto the top of the cheesecake batter. Fold each of the edges up, and then criss-cross the slices back and forth until you reach the edge. Tuck the last two slices over the side toward the edge. Beat the whole egg and gently brush it on the top of the puff pastry, and sprinkle with course sugar.
- Bake the danishes in the oven at 375° for 25-30 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden and the cheesecake + apple filling is set. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack until room temperature.
- Place the glaze ingredient in a small bowl and slowly beat by hand or with a mixer until the sugar in incorporated. Beat on medium - high until smooth, about thirty seconds. If you prefer a slightly thicker glaze, use the three tablespoons of cream. If you want it a bit thinner, go with the full four. Drizzle onto each Danish. Serve warm or room temperature. Store any leftovers covered at room temperature for three days. Best served day of.
Notes
See blog for options in leu of dairy and gluten.