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
Sadly, I think cookbooks are being pushed out by online blogs, but I would love this one. My very first cookbook was a red Betty Crocker, and I still use it. It’s cover is missing, and the first few pages, and it’s a mess. You can tell our favorites by which pages are the dirtiest! 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway!
Does your blog count as my cookbook? 🙂 I’ve always got it pulled up on my phone while I’m cooking in the kitchen. I need a cookbook! These look delish by the way… Mmmmm.
I love my Taste of Georgia cookbook my granny gave me many years ago. Lots of favorites in it, and lots of notes on the different recipes.
My favorite is one called Favorites that a foundation put out in Utah.
My King Arthur Flour cookbook. I have a ton of cookbooks, but I end up using mostly your recipes! Thanks for all you do for us crazy busy moms Mel!!
My currently most-used cookbook is “The Food You Crave” By Ellie Krieger. So awesome.
My favorite cookbook is America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. I love it and can’t wait to try out this one!
You’re blog is my go to cookbook! I also love anything Paula Deen.
I like my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It has a lot of great general info as well as a huge range of tried and true recipes!
I love The Perfect Scoop for desserts and ATK’S Slow Cooker Revolution for actual meals 🙂
I have a wonderful cookbook from my church that I love and next to that I have some Taste of Home ones that I use. I would love an ATK cookbook for fast family meals now that we are all back in school!
With the ease of the Internet, I’ve really fallen from cookbooks. I love allrecipes.com and Pinterest! I enjoy reading other reviews before I try something new. The one cookbook I tend to still rely on is a slow cooker cookbook by Betty Crocker.
My most used cookbook is Bell’s Best – a compilation of recipes from employees of South Central Bell telephone. I’ve had it since the early 80’s and it’s in pieces from overuse.
Really, the cookbook we open again and again is our Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. That and my New Best Recipe cookbook!
I haven’t found my favorite cookbook, yet. This sound right up my alley, though. Would love to try it.
I use a little from a lot of cookbooks. Mainly my own that I have compiled of tried and true recipes. I love the American Test Kitchen and Cooks Country recipes. They are probably my favorite. They always turn out great. I also go online a lot. My favorite go to site is Mels Kitchen Cafe. Thanks
I don’t use cookbooks too often because of the Internet, but I do love to collect them! My most used one is probably my good old Betty Crocker cookbook. 🙂
I have 2 old church cookbooks that are my go to for desserts, candy and breads. I just love that I know the people that the recipes are from.
Nigella Lawson’s “Feast”
I honestly only have one bona fide cookbook, and it’s a natural/healthy cookbook. I haven’t used it much. I rely on the internet a lot. 😀 Your blog is one of my favorites b/c everything I’ve tried is fantastic, so if the cookbook is good enough for you then I am interested! haha
The trusty ol’ Better Homes and Gardens and a cookbook made up of recipes from those I go to church with.
My favorite cook book is the red and white betty Crocker cook book.
I love ATK!
My favorite cookbook is probably Barefoot Contessa – I like her cooking style
I love reading cookbooks…. and blogs. 🙂 its hard to pick a favorite, but I’d probably say Taste of Home cookbooks.
My most favorite cookbook is the family cookbook my mother put together about 10 years ago. It took her forever, contains tons of recipes (and the stories that go with many of them) and is absolutely priceless, especially now that she’s gone.
But after that one, I’ll go to my ATK and CC resources. (I actually DVR both for regular and repeated viewing.)
My favorite cookbook(s) are the local church cookbooks that I have.
I use my family cookbook all the time. I’ve compiled all my favorites into it, so it is my go-to cookbook. My other go-to place is your blog! Thanks for offering the giveaway. 🙂
I love Rachel Ray’s 365: No Repeats, simple recipes that are delicious!
I don’t even own a single cookbook, if you can believe that! Like some others have said, I reach for my binder with my favorite recipes in page protectors – some from friends and family, some from magazines, but mostly ones I’ve found online (and a disproportionate number of those from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe!). I’d love to own a real go-to cookbook though, and this sounds like a winner!
My current favorite cookbook is from Albertina’s restaurant. My aunt bought it for me when she was in Oregon and visited the restaurant. I have yet to make something that from the book that hasn’t been wonderful; my favorite is the French Almond cake.
I really learned how to experiment and enjoy cooking with Southern Living, many, many moons ago.
These Danish look delish! My favorite cookbook is one put together by the legal secretaries of Madison County – so many good recipes! Thanks for ALL the wonderful recipes you share!
Until the last couple of years it was always my mom’s 1949 wedding present Better Homes and Gardens red plaid cookbook. Now, Pioneer Woman.
Mine is an oldie but goodie and one I got like 4 of when I was married: The Bettty Crocker red and white checkered cookbook.
Funny, but it’s an old cookbook put together by the ladies in my mother’s church. I find the best things in there! And there aren’t even any pictures! And most of the titles are things like “Dad’s favorite pesto with pasta.”
It seems that I always run back to my family cook book. It’s got all our favorites right there.
I’m definitely going to have to try this yummy Danish!
My most used cookbook is one we put together for a Girls’ Camp fundraiser. There are so many good recipes in there — and all tried and true!
I use the Our Best Bites cookbook a lot!
My favorite cookbook is my compiled one – it has recipes from my favorite famous chefs (hello Barefoot), my favorite website searches (big shout out to Pintrest for this one) as well as recipes from my neighbors, old college roommates, sisters, mother, mother-in, great grandmother…I think you get the idea. I am continually adding to it which I love.
I LOVE America’s Test Kitchen cookbooks–especially the Family Cookbook and Healthy Family Cookbook and I recently bought the Family Baking Book. I swear by them and rarely if ever have made something I don’t love. My husband groaned when I read off the name of a new one, but it’s thrilling to me! I’m an America’s Test Kitchen evangelist and try and get everyone to buy them to replace some of their other less fabulous general cookbooks 🙂
My go to cookbook is my Betty Crocker one, although I have several others that I also frequent.
Does your website count as a cookbook?… I kid, sort of, but I mostly use online recipes and recipes collected from home. Otherwise it’s sort of a split between my Betty Crocker cookbook and my Better Homes and Gardens one.
I always go back to my Cooking with a GE Food Processor cookbook I got back in 1980. The photos of the food are scrumptious and I have never made anything from it that wasn’t delicious. – I love cheese danish and just bought 3 lbs of cream cheese at Costco that I was wondering what to so with! Hey, it was only $5. How could I resist?
I truely don’t have a “go to” cookbook. I’m one to try whatever sounds good to me at the moment – whether from Pinterest, Blogs (especially yours), word of mouth, or any other source(s). I love your recipes and can only imagine this cookbook is great, considering a lot of your ideas come from them! Thanks for the opportunity!
My most used cookbook is my copy of The Joy of Cooking. I really do love the comprehensiveness of it, both recipes simple and complex.
My favorite cookbook is a family cookbook because it has all of my mom’s recipes.
I use the America’s Test Kitchen cookbook a ton. I love all the explanations/pictures!
I love your blog as a “cookbook” too…but if it is a printed one, I trust old Betty Crocker.
My favorite and most used cookbook is one our ward put together. Every recipe is a tried and truely good one.
Mel,
These look so yummy!!! I have an old community cookbook from the area I grew up in. So many great farm wife cooks. I love watching ATK on TV. Hope you get moved into a home soon.