Quick And Easy Cream Cheese Danish

Buttery, shatteringly flaky puff pastry frames a lemony cream cheese filling and fresh fruit to create little works of art for breakfast. The lemon drizzle and toasted almond slices offer another level of flavor and texture, and make these cream cheese danishes look as good as something from a bakery case.

For a breakfast that looks so impressive, you’ll be delighted to know that not a stand mixer, nor hand mixer, or really any specialized equipment is necessary to make them. The simple recipe is an ideal project for kids (perhaps as a Mother’s Day surprise), as all that’s needed are forks, spoons, little hands, and a little guidance. 

Our Hero Ingredient: Frozen Puff Pastry

If there is one item (other than ice cream) you should always have stashed for a rainy day in your freezer, it’s puff pastry. The versatile frozen product creates impressive looking desserts, mains, and appetizers with a fraction of the effort.

Here, it makes for professional looking breakfast pastries at a fraction of the cost and without any of the headache of laminating dough yourself. 

Best Puff Practices

Frozen puff pastry is a great store-bought shortcut, but there are some dos and don'ts to keep in mind while working with it. 

1. Puff pastry is much easier to handle when it’s cold. Use one sheet at a time, and keep the other refrigerated while you work. 
2. If you don’t have a rolling pin, you can use a wine bottle, or even an empty plastic soda bottle to roll out the puff pastry instead. A clean paint brush can also be used for the egg wash, if you don’t have a pastry brush.  
3. Once your puff pastry is cut, place the rectangles onto parchment-lined baking sheets to do the scoring, topping, etc.—it can be very difficult to move the dough after it has been loaded up with toppings.
4. It’s important to score the puff pastry rectangles on the outside border as that helps that portion of the dough to rise, while pricking the center with a fork helps create a flat well for the filling and fruit. 
5. Don’t skip the egg wash! It makes for pretty, glossy danishes when baked. 

Pro Tip: Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature before making the filling. We suggest letting it sit out for at least an hour. Similar to when you’re making cheesecake, this makes the cream cheese whip up smooth and lump-free. It will also spread easier onto the puff pastry dough.