Easy Cheese Danish

Easy Cheese Danish

• 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 extra large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 2 T ricotta cheese
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 - 1 T grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Place the cream cheese & sugar in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment and cream 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!
3. Unfold one sheet of pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until it's a 10×10 inch square. Cut the sheet into quarters. 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 two 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.
4. Bake the puff pastries for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking, until puffed and brown. Serve warm.

Makes 8 Danish