Apple Cheese Danishes (Printable)

Flaky puff pastries with sweet cream cheese and warm cinnamon spiced apple filling, ready in under an hour.

# What You'll 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 tablespoons granulated sugar
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Apple Filling

06 - 1 large apple, peeled, cored, and diced
07 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar
08 - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
09 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice
10 - ½ tablespoon unsalted butter

→ Icing

11 - ½ cup powdered sugar
12 - 1–2 tablespoons milk

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - Melt butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add diced apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3–4 minutes until apples are soft and coated in a syrupy glaze. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
03 - In a mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and creamy.
04 - Roll out the puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface and cut into 8 equal squares. Transfer squares to the prepared baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, score a border about ½ inch from the edge of each square without cutting all the way through.
05 - Spread about 1 tablespoon of cheese filling in the center of each square. Top with a generous spoonful of the cooled apple mixture.
06 - Brush the scored pastry borders with beaten egg to ensure a golden, glossy finish.
07 - Bake for 18–20 minutes until the pastries are puffed and deep golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack.
08 - Allow danishes to cool for 10 minutes. Whisk powdered sugar with milk until a smooth, drizzle-able icing forms. Drizzle over warm danishes and serve.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The contrast between tangy cream cheese and warmly spiced apples is the kind of flavor combo that makes people close their eyes when they take a bite.
  • Using store bought puff pastry means you get bakery level results with almost no effort, which feels like getting away with something.
  • They look impressively fancy but come together in under an hour, making you the hero of any brunch table.
02 -
  • If your puff pastry gets too warm while you are working with it, pop the whole tray into the fridge for five minutes before baking, because warm pastry will not puff properly.
  • Do not skip scoring the border, as that one simple step is the difference between a flat tart and a beautiful bakery style danish.
03 -
  • Dust your knife with a little flour before cutting the pastry squares so it does not drag and seal the layers together at the edges.
  • Let the apple filling cool completely before spooning it onto the cheese layer, because warm filling will melt the cream cheese and turn your tidy centers into a messy puddle.

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