Cranberry-Almond Cheese Danish Recipe
Buttery puff pastry is piled high with almond cream cheese and cranberry sauce, then drizzled with almond glaze. We eat these danishes while waiting to open our Christmas presents!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Makes: 4 large danishes
Ingredients
Cranberry-Almond Danishes
- 2 sheets all-butter puff pastry, defrosted (I buy mine at Trader Joe's)
- 12 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
- 1 1/4 cup cranberry sauce or jam, homemade or store bought
- 3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Almond Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Prep the puff pastry. Gently unfold and roll out your sheet of puff pastry just to flatten and smooth it. Cut it into two rectangles, about 10 inches by 5 inches. Gently score around the edge of each rectangle, about 3/4" in from the edges. This will create a frame of pastry that will rise around the filling as it bakes. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and back in the fridge while you prep the other ingredients.
- Make the cream cheese filling. Combine the cream cheese, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract in a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag or a sturdy ziplock bag.
- Assemble the danishes: Cut the tip off the piping bag or the corner off of the ziplock and pipe the cream cheese evenly between the four pieces of puff pastry inside the scored rectangle. Top with the cranberry sauce and brush the edges of the puff pastry with egg wash. Sprinkle the puff pastry edges with a bit of sugar.
- Bake. Bake for 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Drizzle with the almond glaze and top with toasted almonds.
Notes
This recipe makes 4 large danishes capable of feeding 8-10. You can cut the recipe in half and use just 1 sheet of puff pastry.
