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Ina Garten’s Easy Cheese Danish

This Ina Garten Easy Cheese Danish is made simply and perfectly with puff pastry and a creamy lemon-flavored filling. I have made quite a few of Ina’s recipes. They have always been exceptional! This easy but absolutely fantastic recipe is being added to my list. Because you’re using puff pastry, it really takes no time at all to put these together and have an amazing flaky lemon-flavored treat.
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 8 Danishes

Ingredients

  • 1 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 frozen puff pastry 1 box defrosted
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
  • Simple Powdered Sugar Glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • enough milk to make a glaze that can be drizzled.

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees 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.