Get ready to have some fun with this one. Instead of your next Saturday donut-run, have your older kids make these Danishes with Raspberry-Cream Cheese Filling. They are incredibly easy but deliver a great sense of accomplishment because there are a few different components: pastry, filling and glaze. These danishes are sweet, tart, and both soft and crisp. Warm, creamy centers make them extra special. Six ingredients gets you these charming little envelopes of sweetness that no one within any proximity will be able to resist.
The original recipe calls for making your own pastry, but we take a shortcut by using Puff Pastry. It also calls for adding poppy seeds to your filling, which you may absolutely do to create more interest and fanciness. We don’t always have poppy seeds on hand so we usually make these sans seeds. Lastly, we use raspberry preserves (like jam, not pie filling) instead of cherry but you can use any preserve that you love, from strawberry to boysenberry.
Assembling these really is a good time, especially if you’re a kid. Just be sure to leave enough room in the middle of the slits for the filling to nestle:
You’ll simply bring all of the points in to meet in the center:
Try to work quickly so that the Puff Pastry stays cool and the layers will remain flaky.
You can push the center points closer together immediately after baking while they’re still hot to close them up a little more as they will have spread during baking.
According to copenhagenppastry.com, “Although today known world-wide as “Danishes” these pastries did not originate in Denmark, but were brought to Denmark by Austrian bakers, particularly from Vienna in the 1850’s when Danish pastry workers went on a long-term wage strike.” In light of this, let’s learn a few things about Austria and it’s people:
- The sewing machine was invented by an Austrian.
- Austria has been home to a large number of Nobel Prize winners, especially in the field of medicine.
- Many of the world’s most famous composers of classical music hail from Austria, including Schubert, Strauss and Mozart.
Adapted from: Poppy-Seed Danishes with Cherry-Cream Cheese Filling
- FOR THE PASTRY
- 2 sheets Puff Pastry, thawed but still cool
- 1 large egg yolk lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream (or water), for egg wash
- FOR THE FILLING
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk
- Optional: 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- ⅓ cup raspberry preserves
- FOR THE GLAZE
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 3 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Make the filling: Beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg yolk. Add poppy seeds (if desired), and beat until evenly distributed.
- Lay sheets of dough onto a lightly floured surface or parchment paper. Cut each sheet of dough into four squares (eight total), and divide between 2 baking sheets.
- Cut a 2-inch line from the 4 corners of each square into the center. Spread a heaping tablespoon filling onto each. Dollop centers with a heaping teaspoon preserves. Fold the 2 top corners into the center of each square. Repeat with remaining corners to form petals. Brush petals with egg wash. Bake until deep golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze: Mix together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to use. (If glaze gets stiff, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is achieved.)
- Drizzle Danishes with glaze, and let stand for 10 minutes.
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