17 Jun Pooja’s Cheese Danish

As I walked in after my run, I realized Pooja, my 16 year old daughter had breakfast duty and was already thawing the puff pastry to make the kids favorite cheese danish! This is a quick cheat breakfast and is real easy if you thaw the store bought pastry in the  fridge over night. With our size family we use both sheets.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

We start with 8 oz of cream cheese and pop it in the microwave for 1 minute

This will soften it so that you can mash it into a creamy paste.

Make sure it is creamy before you add 3/4 cup of powdered sugar or it will be lumpy.

Once it is thoroughly mixed set aside and start working on the thawed puff pastry. Set the puff pastry on parchment paper lined cookie sheet and open it out. (I use a heavy cookie sheet made by Vollrath which is fabulous if you bake often). Cut 2 inch slits in the outer thirds, 1 inch apart all the way down on both sides. This will help us make a braid.

Divide the filling evenly between both sheets down the middle third (between the cut thirds).

Dot the the strips with a little water to help keep the braid sealed when baking. Pull  the strips tightly, criss-crossing as you go to form a braid.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Meanwhile make the sugar glaze. Soften 1/2 Tbsp of butter in a glass bowl for 30 seconds in the microwave.

Stir in 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk. You may need another tablespoon of milk to get the desired glazing consistency.

Get the danish out of the oven when it is golden brown and drizzle the glaze over it.

For semblance of a healthy breakfast the kids ate it with fruit and glass of milk!

I on the other hand had scrambled eggs and a green apple!!

Ingredients

2 Sheets of Puff Pastry

8 oz cream cheese

3/4 + 1/2 C powdered sugar

1/2 Tbsp butter

2-3 Tbsp Milk

Method

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees F.

Thaw the puff pastry overnight in the refrigerator or for 40 minutes on the counter. Open it out on to a parchment lined cookie sheet and cut 2 inch slits about 1 inch apart all the way down both sides of each pastry sheet.

Make the filling:

Soften the cream cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir it well till it is creamy without lumps. Then add 3/4 cup of powdered sugar and mix well.

Put dollops of filling down the center third of both pastry sheets. Slightly moisten the cut strips and braid tightly as shown in the picture above. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Prepare the sugar glaze:

Soften 1/2 Tbsp of butter in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add 1/2  cup of sugar and mix well. Add 2 Tablespoons of milk and mix again. Add another tablespoon of milk if glazing consistency is not reached. Glaze your danish. Slice and enjoy!