Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Danish

5 from 1 vote

Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Danish

Made with flaky puff pastry, cream cheese filling, and fresh berries, these cream cheese puff pastry Danish tarts aren't just tasty but absolutely beautiful.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 99kcal

Author: Katalin Nagy

Equipment

Digital scale
Digital oven thermometer

Ingredients

2 packs Puff pastry store-bought or 2 portions of my homemade rough puff pastry
226 g Cream cheese full fat, eg. Philadephia
67 g Granulated sugar
1 Egg yolk
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 Egg for the egg wash
Splash of milk for the egg wash
Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or any other berries

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Thaw the puff pastry sheets (if using frozen) but make sure they are still cold.
Wash the berries and cut the strawberries and raspberries lengthwise.
Whisk the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and egg yolk for a few minutes until fully combined.
Unfold one of the puff pastry sheets and cut it into 6 rectangles, as in the process image.
Using a sharp knife, lightly score each rectangle about ½ inch in on all 4 sides. Do not cut all the way through the dough.
Spread about one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture on the pastry, but leave out the scored side. Then, arrange the fruits on top.
Whisk the egg with a splash of milk and apply egg wash all around the pastry (not on the cream cheese & fruit part).
Continue with the other puff pastry sheet until you get 12 tarts. Bake 6 at once.
If at any point the puff pastry becomes warm to handle, pop it into the freezer or fridge for a few minutes to chill. Do not force the pastry if it is too warm.
Chill the pastry while pre-heating the oven to 200C / 392F (no fan). Bake the tarts at 200C / 392F (no fan) for about 40-45 minutes. Cover them after about 15 minutes to avoid them browning too much.
Let them slightly cool in the baking tray for 3 minutes then move them onto a cooling rack.
The cream cheese puff pastry danish tarts are the best served fresh. Any leftovers can be stored refrigerated for 2-3 days in an airtight container.

Notes

Work as quickly with the pastry as you can. As the pastry warms, it will stick and become very difficult to handle.
Do not add more cream cheese or fruit to the pastry as it will either leak or make the pastry too moist, and it won't bake properly
Check the bottom of the pastry to see whether it is well baked.

Nutrition