Ina Garten's Easy Cheese Danish

Puff pastry is one of those things you simply MUST HAVE in your freezer at all times! It is such a game changer and allows you to make savory dishes like Ina Garten's Hot Dogs in Puff Pastry, or sweet dishes like her Easy Cheese Danish.

Whenever you see puff pastry in stock, grab a box or two and stock up on the babies, because grocery stores sure do have a time trying to keep it in stock.

Now, this is my kind of recipe. A handful of ingredients. Easy to make. Easy to clean up. Delicious to eat. All you need to do is roll out your puff pastry to a 10x10 square and cut that sheet into four even squares. Then mix the cream cheese, sugar, ricotta cheese, lemon, and vanilla in a bowl and plop in the middle of each puff pastry square. Seal those pastries up, let them chill in the fridge for 15 minutes, then bake. 

People will be thinking you're a pastry chef and they will have no idea it was so easy! We absolutely loved these. We loved them warm as Ina suggested, but we loved them even better chilled. These would be perfect for breakfast and/or brunch and will be a big hit whether you make them for yourself, serve them to your family, or make them while entertaining.

Easy Cheese Danish

Adapted from Food Network

by Ina Garten

Makes 8 Danish

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

2 tablespoons ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon slat

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Note: We didn't need 8 cheese danish, so I halved the recipe with great success. 

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream them 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!

Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until it's a 10 x 10 inch square. Cut the sheet into quarters with a sharp knife. 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 2 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.

Bake the pastries for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking, until puffed and brown. Serve warm. 

Snow Day Eats @ IHCC