Simple Cheese Danish
These simple homemade cheese danishes are so easy, so elegant and so delicious. You’ve gotta try them right now!
I feel like I’ve been harping on quick, simple recipes and meals lately. Sorry if that offends your gourmet spirit.
I promise that fast food (I’m talking fast food like homecooked fast food, not fast food like dollar menu fast food) can taste delicious even if it is simple and quick to prepare.
Because of my latest fetish with easy recipes, I was thrilled beyond thrilled when out of the blue, America’s Test Kitchen sent me their newest cookbook, The Quick Family Cookbook, because the food in here is seriously talking my language.
No-fail is the word that comes to mind with ATK’s tested, tested, tested recipes and the wonder of this cookbook is that you get classically delicious America’s Test Kitchen recipes with minimal fuss, time and ingredients. Oh, I am in love with this book.
To show how great this book is, I should have made some stellar main course fare that will save your bacon on any given Tuesday night; however, I couldn’t resist these delicious cheese Danish pastries.
They are so easy, so elegant and so delicious, if you close your eyes while eating one, you might just believe you are smack dab on the bustling streets of Paris – oh wait, think of some city in Denmark! – eating an authentic pastry.
Not that I ever have had that experience, but take my word for it – these babies get the job done for a no-fuss pastry. Make them and love them.
Simple Cheese Danish
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened to room temperature
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (9 1/2 by 9-inch)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to upper-middle position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, stir together the cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla. Set aside.
- Roll the pastry into a 12 by 9-inch rectangle on a lightly floured counter, making sure it doesn’t stick to the counter while rolling. Cut the rectangle into six 4 1/2 by 4-inch rectangles (cut it in half the long way and then cut each strip into thirds). Transfer the pastry rectangles to the baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart. Using the tip of a paring knife, score a 1/2-inch border around the edge of each pastry, then brush the borders with the egg wash (no fear – if you don’t have a pastry brush, using your fingers works just as well!). Prick the pastry with a fork every 1 inch or so within the border (see the picture below for a visual). Place a generous 2-3 tablespoons of filling in the center of each pastry and spread it into an even layer leaving the border uncovered.
- Bake the pastries until fully puffed and golden about 12-14 minutes (watching carefully so they don’t overbrown). Serve the pastries warm or at room temperature.
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Recipe Source: adapted slightly from America’s Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook
Five years ago for Christmas my mom gave me, my brother, and my sister three ring binders with ten of our family’s favorite recipes . Every year as part of our Christmas gift she adds a few more recipe pages for our book. Usually they’re recipes that are family favorites for that year. I use that cookbook at least once a week!
Fave cookbook…hmmm. They change over the phases, but currently I got one from my sisters mother in law – a neighborhood one. Seriously a great collection of tried and true’s. 🙂
I have an Our Best Bites cookbook that a friend of mine gave me. It has a lot of family friendly, “normal” meals in it. The recipes remind me of the recipes on your blog. And of course, I have two binders full of recipes I have printed out from your website. (I love ATK too!!)
I haven’t gone to my recipe books in a long time. That’s because everything I could possibly want is found right on this blog- it is all so amazing! My friends are probably getting tired of me raving about what I made for dinner the night before, and whenever they ask where I got the recipe, the answer is always “Mel’s”. This is not to suck up 🙂 it is the honest truth! Thanks for all the delicious, no-fail recipes you share.
P.S. when I did use cookbooks more, my Taste of Home collection was a favorite.
I use a lot of weight watcher cookbooks. And I have a family one that I love.
I love my church cookbook that has a collection of everyone’s best recipes.
My favorite and go-to cookbook was made for me by my husband’s grandma as a wedding gift. It has recipes from both his grandmas, his mom and my mom and grandmas. She typed up each recipe and put them all in a three ring binder/photo album. I not only love having family recipes from both sides but I love that I can add recipes to it (lots I get from you–thank you!!) by sticking them in a sheet protector!!
Ooh, my favorite cookbook, that is a tough one. It has to be my grandma’s or MY aunt Marilyn’s. That is probably not what you are looking for, but I hope I can be in the drawing anyway. Hope all is going well with hotel life.
I love my Mom’s cookbook. Its filled with all of our family favorites. She made it herself. Its fantastic!!
I’m not sure it counts as a cookbook, but I love my Everyday Food subscription. They have such a variety of recipes with unprocessed ingredients. Also, your blog is where I’ve gotten a ton of great ones. 🙂
The Joy of Cooking. Best thin and crispy chocolate chip cookies.
I find that I still turn to the cookbook my Mom gave me when I got married – Betty Crocker.
I just purchased the Anne of Green Gables Cookbook! I didn’t even know that it existed until about a month ago when a pin on Pinterest mentioned it. I had to have it! Can’t wait to make everything!
My favorite cookbook is called Recipes for the I Don’t Cook Syndrome. Everything I make from it seems to turn out well.
(and everything I make from here turns out well too. My family loved the Slow Cooker Beef Stew I made yesterday.)
My most used cookbook is one that a family friend compiled and gave to me as a wedding gift. I use it all the time!
Thanks for this! I use the Our Best Bites cookbook a lot, and Fix it and Forget it.
My favorite cookbooks are developed from a lady from my home church and also Taste of Home. I also love your website and have tried many great recipes. thx
I have a bookshelf in my kitchen full of cookbooks, from Joy of Cooking down to Kids in the Kitchen. I am very fond of the cookbooks that have come from school and church fundraisers, as they seem to be full of the family favorites from each area I have lived in. However, my very favorite cookbook is the one I put together for our family reunion a few years back. I invited each family member to share their favorite recipes, so now I have a great reference for all the yummy treats I grew up with, both at home at my grandparents and cousins homes. So if you are looking for a title, I called it “Favorite Family Recipes of the Telfords and Luxes”. It is definitely the one I turn to again and again.
Probably my most used cookbook (I do most of my cooking nowadays from on-line sites- yours in particular) is The Best Recipe. Great book. Thanks for all your recipes you share with us!
I LOVE America’s Test Kitchen and swear by all their recipes too! My all-time go-to cookbooks are their red and blue ones. So excited to see they have this new one! Know that will be great too!
ATK is the easy answer…but probably my college cookbook of roomate recipes is the most dog eared.
I got Better Homes and Gardens as a wedding gift and it’s still my go-to for basic recipes. Thanks for the giveaway! Love your blog!
I have a few ward cookbooks that I’ve collected through the years. I also have a few cookbooks from Food Network people. I mostly get my recipes from your website and a few others. Thanks for all you do and for this fun giveaway.
I have to say my cookbooks are getting dusty when it’s so easy to hop on your site and know I’m going to come out with something delicious. I just finished your crispy oven baked chicken for the second time this month and love it everytime.
Our go to cookbook is America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Cookbook.
That is a tough one. I read cookbooks like novels with many at the side of my bed. If I had to choose one it would be oh gosh one of the barefoot contessa books.
I use a family cookbook compiled by my MIL the most. Going to go make those Danishes now! 🙂
The Better Home and Gardens New Cookbook is my old standby and my local church cookbooks- some of the best recipes in there!!!!1
My favorite would be blogs like !your and best bites
Any and all of the Ina Garten cookbooks.
i made a cookbook of all my favorite compiled recipes. tastebook.com allows you to make a custom cookbook that turns out awesome!
I always rely on The America’s Test Kitchen and Better Homes and Gardens.
*cookbook not cookout*
I love reading cookbooks….so many recipes so little time! I enjoy the Gooseberry Patch series. This time of year I usually pull out their Flavors of Fall!!
The Pioneer Woman’s cookout has been a favorite of mine!
My go to cookbook is The Barefoot Contessa by Ina Garten. Her turkey meatloaf and outrageous brownies are always a hit with my family.
-Melissa
I have two favorites right now. One is The Best Recipe by the editors of Cooks Illustrated, the other is Pie by Ken Haedrich. I love that both explain how their recipes work – it’s like a science lesson and a recipe in one. No complaints here about quick and easy! With a crawling baby underfoot, quick and easy are my go-to words! Keep up the good work!
Hi, Mel!
I’m on my second Betty Crocker cookbook – just can’t be beat!
Kathy
If I had to grab one, it would be “The Family Kitchen” by Debra Ponzek. I’ve made almost every recipe. Her food is good enough for company, easy enough for little hands to help.
The internet? Just kidding, a family cookbook with favorite recipes from aunts and cousins all over the world.
The one and only Joy of Cooking
Joy of Cooking!
I have too many to even start naming my favorite. Usually I just collect my favorites in my own cookbook, gathered from great cooks like you!
Being the garlic lover that I am, The Stinking Rose cookbook is a favorite – one that I use at least once a week.
Have so many cookbooks I could not possibly say which is favorite – probably the one made up from favorites over the years….covered with food and well used!! Will tell you this, your website and Southern Living are the only ones I have ever allowed to come into my INBOX! That is truly a compliment to you. I LOVE Cheese Danish and this one looks so good! I will make it – too easy not to do so. I checked book out! My daughter-in-law is a caterer……..going to get this book for her for Christmas! Thanks, Mel!
Hi Mel!! LOVE your recipes and your blog! I’ve tried so many of your recipes and they always turn out great. My favorite cookbook would probably be any cookbook by Carmela Tursi Hobbins. She’s an Italian chef in the Twin Cities area who has regular classes at Cooks of Crocus Hill in Edina and St. Paul. Anything I make from her classes or cookbooks always turns out AMAZING! You’ll definitely have to check her out now that you live in MN :).
My most used cookbook is a small spiral book given to me at my bridal shower by my mom. It has all of my favorite family recipes.
My favorite cookbook is a book of family recipes. My niece gathered them one year from her grandmothers, aunts, etc and made copies for all of us! what a treasure and thoughtful gift.
My new most used cookbook is my Paprika app on my iPad. And LOTS of those recipes come from Mel’s Kitchen!
I use the Betty Crocker Cookbook the most… old timey for sure, but that’s ok! 🙂