Apple-Cinnamon Cream Cheese Danish

By srumbel

Apple-Cinnamon! If you’re a fan of fresh pastry, but too scared to ever attempt to make your own, this is for you. Store-bought puff pastry dough (found in the freezer section of the grocery store) makes bakery quality delicacies totally doable at home. This one has both a sweet cream cheese layer, and a layer of cinnamon apples tucked away inside, with a crunchy cinnamon-sugar topping. If that doesn’t scream fall is here, I don’t know what does.
from ourbestbites.com

Ingredients

• 1 17.3 ounce package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 pounds cooking apples, peeled (if desired), cored, and thinly sliced (about 7 cups)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• milk
• 2 tablespoons coarse sugar

Preparation

Step 1

prepared baking pan, pressing pastry to edges of pan. Bake about 12 minues or until golden (pastry will puff ad shrink from sides of pan). Cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, in an extra-large skillet heat butter over medium heat until melted. Add apples; cook about 8 minutes or until apples are crisp-tennder, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar, the flour, 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the nutmeg. Sprinkle over apples. Cook and stir over medium-low heat for 2 minutes more. Set askide.

In a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese and the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla just until combined. Carefully spread cream cheese mixture over baked pastry to wihtin 1 inch of the edges. Spoon apple mixture oer cream cheese mixture (I did not include the syrup/juices in the apples).



On a lightly floured surface, unfold the remaining pastry sheet and roll into a 13×10-inch rectangle (make sure pastry is large enough to completely cover apple mixture ). Place on top of apple mixture. Lightly press edges of top pastry to edges of bottom pastry. Lightly brush top pastry with milk. Using a sharp knife, cut a few slits in pastry to allow steam to escape. In a small bowl combine coarse sugar and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle over pastry.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until pastry is slightly puffed and golden. Cool on wire rack about 45 minutes. Serve slightly warm, or at room temp. Store leftovers in an airtight container in fridge for up to 24 hours.