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Cream Cheese Danish with Puff Pastry

Cream cheese Danish with puff pastry bakes into crisp, flaky squares filled with smooth lemon-vanilla cream cheese. A simple powdered sugar glaze adds a sweet finish to these golden pastries.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Cooling 10 minutes
Total Time 52 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: French
Calories: 330
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the filling
  • 4 oz cream cheese 1/2 of an 8-ounce block, softened
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 tsp lemon zest finely grated
For the filling and egg wash
  • 1 egg large, separated
  • 1 tsp water
For the pastries
  • 2 sheets puff pastry frozen, about 17 ounces total, thawed but cold
For the glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp milk

Equipment

  • 2 13x18-inch rimmed baking sheet

Method
 

Prepare the oven
  1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Line two 13x18-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Make the filling
  1. Separate the egg and set the white aside for the egg wash.
  2. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, and lemon zest until smooth.
Assemble and bake
  1. Unfold each puff pastry sheet and cut it into 4 equal squares.
  2. Arrange 4 squares on each prepared baking sheet.
  3. Score a 1/2-inch border around each square without cutting all the way through.
  4. Prick the centers several times with a fork.
  5. Whisk the reserved egg white with the water.
  6. Brush the egg wash over the pastry borders.
  7. Divide the filling evenly among the pastry centers, keeping it inside the borders.
  8. Bake for 18–22 minutes, switching the sheets between racks and rotating them front to back halfway through, until the pastries are puffed and deep golden brown and the filling is set.
  9. Let the pastries cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes.
Make the glaze
  1. Whisk the powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl until smooth.
  2. Drizzle the glaze over the pastries.

Notes

Keep the puff pastry cold while assembling for the flakiest layers. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; freeze baked pastries without the glaze, then thaw and glaze before serving. For a gluten-free variation, use gluten-free puff pastry.