Delicious Apple Cheese Danishes (Printable)

Golden puff pastry squares with spiced apple and sweet cream cheese filling.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pastry

01 - 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
02 - 1 egg, beaten

→ Cream Cheese Filling

03 - 6 oz cream cheese, softened
04 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Apple Filling

06 - 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
07 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
08 - 2 tbsp brown sugar
09 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
11 - 1 tsp lemon juice

→ Decoration

12 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar
13 - 2–3 tsp milk or lemon juice

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
02 - In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add diced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring often, until apples are soft and syrupy. Let cool.
03 - Beat together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.
04 - Roll out puff pastry on a floured surface to smooth any creases. Cut into 8 equal squares.
05 - Place pastry squares on prepared baking tray. Lightly score a smaller square inside each (do not cut all the way through), and prick the center with a fork.
06 - Spread a spoonful of cream cheese filling in the center of each pastry, keeping inside the scored square. Top with a generous spoonful of cooled apple mixture.
07 - Brush pastry edges with beaten egg.
08 - Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed.
09 - Allow to cool slightly. For icing, mix powdered sugar with enough milk or lemon juice to make a drizzle; use a spoon to zigzag over cooled danishes if desired.
10 - Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The contrast of warm, fruit filling against cold cream cheese is addictively good.
  • They look impressive but come together with pantry staples.
02 -
  • Let the apple filling cool completely before spreading it on the dough, otherwise, the heat will melt the butter in the pastry and ruin the rise.
  • Do not skip pricking the center of the pastry with a fork, or the center will puff up too much and push your filling off.
03 -
  • Freeze unbaked danishes on the tray until solid, then transfer to a bag for fresh-baked treats anytime.
  • If your oven has hot spots, rotate the tray halfway through the cooking time.

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