Apple Cheese Danishes (Print Version)
Flaky pastries with spiced apple and sweet cream cheese filling.
# What You Need:
→ Pastry
01 - 1 sheet puff pastry (about 9 oz), thawed
02 - 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash)
→ Cheese Filling
03 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
04 - 2 tbsp granulated sugar
05 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ Apple Filling
06 - 1 large apple, peeled, cored, and diced
07 - 2 tbsp brown sugar
08 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
09 - 1 tsp lemon juice
10 - 1/2 tbsp butter
→ Icing
11 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
12 - 1–2 tbsp milk
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Melt butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add diced apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until apples are soft and syrupy. Remove from heat and let cool.
03 - In a bowl, mix cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
04 - Roll out puff pastry and cut into 8 equal squares.
05 - Place squares on the prepared baking sheet. Score a border about 1/2 inch from the edge, being careful not to cut through the pastry.
06 - Spread 1 tbsp of cheese filling in the center of each square. Top with a spoonful of the cooled apple mixture.
07 - Brush the edges of the pastry squares with the beaten egg.
08 - Bake for 18–20 minutes or until pastries are golden and puffed.
09 - Cool for 10 minutes. Whisk powdered sugar with milk to form icing, then drizzle over danishes if desired.
# Insider Tips:
01 -
- It delivers a bakery-quality look with a fraction of the effort.
- The warm, spiced apple and cool, creamy cheese filling is an unbeatable combo.
02 -
- Do not skip the cooling step for the apples or the heat will melt your cheese filling too fast.
- Keep a close eye on the oven during the last 5 minutes as puff pastry can go from golden to burnt quickly.
03 -
- Chill the assembled pastries for 10 minutes before baking to help the layers hold their shape.
- Use a sharp knife to score the borders so you do not accidentally cut all the way through the dough.