Strawberry Danishes with Cream Cheese (Printable)

Buttery pastry shells with creamy vanilla filling and fresh strawberries, baked until golden

# What You Need:

→ Pastry

01 - 1 sheet (approximately 8 oz) puff pastry, thawed

→ 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 Topping

06 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
07 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
08 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice

→ Egg Wash

09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 tablespoon milk

→ Glaze

11 - ½ cup powdered sugar
12 - 1-2 teaspoons milk
13 - ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until smooth and creamy.
03 - In another bowl, toss sliced strawberries with sugar and lemon juice. Set aside to macerate.
04 - Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 8 equal squares.
05 - Place each square on the prepared baking sheet. Score a smaller square inside each, being careful not to cut through the dough completely.
06 - Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling into the center of each square, spreading gently within the scored area.
07 - Top each filled square with a few strawberry slices.
08 - In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Brush the pastry edges lightly with the egg wash.
09 - Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed.
10 - Let cool slightly. For the glaze, mix powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth, then drizzle over cooled danishes if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The contrast of crisp flaky pastry against cool tangy cream cheese creates that perfect balance that makes European breakfasts so unforgettable
  • They look like you spent hours fussing but come together in under an hour, leaving you more time to linger over coffee with friends
  • The strawberry maceration trick releases just enough juice to keep everything moist without turning the pastry soggy
02 -
  • Overfilling these is the most common mistake, the filling expands during baking and will overflow if you are too generous
  • Letting the pastry get too warm while working with it causes the butter layers to melt, resulting in dense flat pastries instead of flaky ones
03 -
  • Chill your baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes before arranging the danishes on it, this gives the pastry an extra cold start that improves lift
  • Rotate the pan halfway through baking to ensure even browning, especially if your oven has hot spots like most do

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