Easy Cheese Danish, from Ina Garten

By Foodiewife

This easy recipe for cheese danish comes from Ina Garten. I adapted this in two ways-- I made the cheese filling the night before so that it would not be runny. I also used one lemon, instead of two and I think the balance of lemon to cream cheese was perfect.

For more photos, please visit my food blog:
http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2009/08/ina-gartens-easy-cheese-danish.html

These don't reheat as well as eating them hot and fresh from the oven, so I'd make just enough for what you need at the time.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 40mins
Adapted from foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream them together on low speed until smooth.

With the mixer still on low, add the egg yolks, ricotta, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix until just combined. Don't whip!

Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until it's a 10 by 10-inch square.

Cut the sheet into quarters with a sharp knife.

Place a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling into the middle of each of the 4 squares.

Brush the border of each pastry with egg wash and fold 2 opposite corners to the center, brushing and overlapping the corners of each pastry so they firmly stick together.

Brush the top of the pastries with egg wash.

Place the pastries on the prepared sheet pan.

Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry and refrigerate the filled Danish for 15 minutes.

Bake the pastries for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking, until puffed and brown. Serve warm.