Strawberry Danishes with Cream Cheese (Print)

Flaky, buttery pastry with luscious cream cheese and fresh strawberries. Perfect breakfast or sweet treat.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pastry

01 - 1 sheet puff pastry (approximately 8 oz), thawed

→ Cream Cheese Filling

02 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
03 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest

→ Strawberry Topping

06 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
07 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
08 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice

→ Egg Wash

09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 tablespoon milk

→ Glaze

11 - ½ cup powdered sugar
12 - 1-2 teaspoons milk
13 - ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Beat until smooth and creamy.
03 - In a separate bowl, toss sliced strawberries with sugar and lemon juice. Let sit for 5 minutes to release juices.
04 - Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 8 equal squares, approximately 4 inches each.
05 - Transfer squares to the prepared baking sheet. Score a smaller square inside each piece, leaving a ½ inch border. Do not cut through completely.
06 - Spoon about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture into the center of each square, spreading within the scored area. Arrange strawberry slices on top.
07 - Whisk together egg and milk in a small bowl. Brush the pastry edges lightly with the egg wash mixture.
08 - Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown, puffed, and fully cooked. The pastry should be crisp and flaky.
09 - While danishes cool slightly, whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Adjust consistency with additional milk if needed.
10 - Drizzle glaze over cooled danishes if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The puff pastry does all the heavy lifting so you get bakery level results without spending hours in the kitchen
  • That creamy cheese filling balances the sweet berries in a way that makes every bite feel perfectly indulgent
  • You can assemble these the night before and bake them fresh for guests which makes you look like a morning person genius
02 -
  • Don't skip the scored border or your filling will spill over the edges and you'll lose that pretty raised frame
  • Overfilling seems like a good idea until you're scrubbing burnt cheese off your baking sheet for twenty minutes
  • These really do need to cool for at least ten minutes or that cream cheese filling will burn your mouth every single time
03 -
  • Work quickly with cold puff pastry and keep a bag of frozen peas handy to chill it again if it starts getting soft and sticky
  • The berries will release juice as they sit, so pat them dry with a paper towel if your filling looks too wet before assembling

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