Strawberry Danish Pastries (Printable)
Buttery puff pastry filled with cream cheese and strawberry compote, baked until puffed and golden.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pastry
01 - 1 sheet puff pastry (about 9 oz), thawed if frozen
→ Cream Cheese Filling
02 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
03 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
→ Strawberry Filling
06 - 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
07 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
08 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice
09 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch
→ Egg Wash
10 - 1 egg, beaten
11 - 1 tablespoon milk
→ Optional Glaze
12 - 3/4 cup powdered sugar
13 - 2 to 3 teaspoons milk
14 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
02 - In a small bowl, blend cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set aside.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine diced strawberries with granulated sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss gently to coat evenly. Set aside.
04 - Roll out puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 8 equal squares. Score a 1/2-inch border around each square without cutting through the dough.
05 - Place 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling in the center of each square and spread gently, keeping within the scored border.
06 - Spoon 1 tablespoon of strawberry filling over the cream cheese layer for each square.
07 - Whisk together the beaten egg and 1 tablespoon milk. Brush the pastry borders with egg wash for a glossy finish.
08 - Transfer prepared squares onto the lined baking tray. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until pastry is puffed and golden brown.
09 - Remove from oven and let cool slightly on a wire rack.
10 - In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar, 2 to 3 teaspoons milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over Danishes once they have cooled.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Your kitchen will smell like a boutique bakery while these pastry treasures bake.
- They’re deceptively easy to assemble, yet always impress a breakfast crowd.
02 -
- I once forgot the cornstarch and ended up with delicious—but soggy—pastries.
- Letting the Danishes cool on a rack instead of a tray keeps their bottoms perfectly crisp.
03 -
- Chill the pastry if it starts to get sticky—it’ll puff higher and flakier.
- A microplane makes zesting the lemon far easier (and keeps your knuckles safe).