Easy Lemon Cheese Danish
Semi-homemade and full of incredible lemon cheesecake flavor, this easy lemon cheese danish recipe is sure to be a hit at your next gathering.
Yield: 9
Materials
- 1 Sheet Puff Pastry (I used Pepperidge Farms)
- 8 Ounces Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
- ⅓ Cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 Large Egg Yolk
- 1 Large Egg, beaten for egg wash
- Lemon Curd (recipe link in blog)
Instructions
- This recipe calls for one sheet of puff pastry, but you can certainly use both sheets and double the cheesecake filling for 18 mini danishes instead of 9. Begin by thawing one sheet of puff pastry, either in the refrigerator or the microwave, until cold but no longer frozen. Cut the sheet into 9 squares or 9 circles using a cookie or biscuit cutter. You can make them into circles. Discard the remnants or simply bake those on their own and enjoy some crispy puff pastry dipped in lemon curd!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 nine squares or circles, which is approximately just under 2 tablespoons each. Beat the whole egg and gently brush it on the outer rim of the puff pastry (avoiding the cheesecake filling as much as possible). Bake the danishes in the oven at 375° for 16-18 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden and the cheesecake is set. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack until room temperature.Spoon about 1-2 tablespoons of lemon curd onto the center of the cooled danishes. Allow the curd to set, about 20 minutes or so. You can also enjoy them right away, just know that the curd might drip a little but be just as delicious. Store any leftovers at room temperature for one day. These danishes are best consumed day off.
Notes
See blog for options in leu of gluten and dairy.