Apple Cheese Danishes (Printable Version)

Flaky puff pastries with creamy cheese filling and warm cinnamon-spiced apples.

# What You Need:

→ Pastry

01 - 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
02 - 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash)

→ Cream Cheese Filling

03 - 6 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
04 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

→ Apple Filling

06 - 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced (tart varieties such as Granny Smith recommended)
07 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
08 - 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
09 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
11 - 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

→ Glaze

12 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
13 - 2 to 3 tsp whole milk or fresh lemon juice

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the diced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the apples are tender and coated in a thick syrup. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
03 - In a mixing bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
04 - On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry sheet to smooth any creases. Cut into 8 equal squares and transfer to the prepared baking tray. Using a knife, lightly score a smaller square border inside each piece without cutting all the way through. Prick the center area several times with a fork to prevent excessive puffing.
05 - Spread a generous spoonful of the cream cheese filling in the center of each pastry square, staying within the scored border. Top with a spoonful of the cooled apple mixture, distributing evenly among all eight pastries.
06 - Brush the exposed pastry edges with the beaten egg to promote even browning. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until the pastry is deeply golden and puffed.
07 - Allow the danishes to cool on the baking tray for 5 to 10 minutes. whisk together the powdered sugar with enough milk or lemon juice to reach a drizzle consistency. Use a spoon to zigzag the glaze over each danish. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Store bought puff pastry does all the heavy lifting, so you get bakery level results without spending hours making dough from scratch.
  • The combination of tart spiced apples and cool vanilla cream cheese filling tastes like something you would pay good money for at a cafe.
02 -
  • If you add warm apple filling directly onto the cream cheese, it will melt into a runny mess and leak out the sides during baking, so patience while it cools is critical.
  • The scored border is what allows the edges to puff up dramatically while the center stays flat enough to hold the filling, so do not skip that step or press too hard.
03 -
  • Use a fork to crimp the edges of each danish after scoring for a professional looking finish that also helps seal the border.
  • Dust your work surface with powdered sugar instead of flour when rolling out puff pastry for a slightly sweeter crust that browns more evenly.

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