Cream Cheese Cherry Danish

Flaky, buttery puff pastry sheets wrap around a rich cream cheese center and juicy red cherries in this stunning breakfast treat. You'll love how the crisp outer shell contrasts with the soft, velvety filling inside. Each mouthful gives you that perfect mix of textures that'll make you savor every bite. These cherry cream cheese Danishes turn ordinary breakfasts into something special without making you spend hours in the kitchen.

I wasn't sure I could pull these Danishes off the first time I tried them. They looked so fancy! But after seeing how easy puff pastry is to work with and watching how nicely the cream cheese sets up during baking, they've become my go-to weekend breakfast. Nothing beats the looks on my guests' faces when they come downstairs to find these freshly baked goodies waiting for them – they've become my signature morning offering.

Delightful Ingredients

• Ready-made puff pastry sheets: They give you those amazing layers that puff up beautifully while baking without any tricky folding work
• Cream cheese: Adds a silky foundation that cuts through sweetness while bringing in rich flavor
• Cherry pie filling: Saves you time and works perfectly when you can't get your hands on fresh cherries
• Almond extract: Brings in light nutty hints that work amazingly well with the cherry flavor
• Powdered sugar: Blends smoothly into glazes without any grainy texture you'd get from regular sugar
• Egg wash: Helps your pastry turn beautifully golden and shiny, showing it's baked just right

Pastry Magic Steps

Getting Started:

Let your puff pastry sheets thaw fully following the package directions, usually around 40 minutes at room temp. Put your oven rack in the middle and start heating to 375°F for the best heat flow. Cover a big baking sheet with parchment so nothing sticks and cleanup is a breeze. Gently unfold your thawed pastry onto a lightly floured counter, pressing the fold lines lightly to flatten without squashing those precious layers.

Making Your Filling:

Mix your room temp cream cheese with regular sugar in a bowl until it's really smooth using your mixer on medium. Add in your egg yolk and almond extract, keep beating till it gets lighter in color and fluffier. Make your egg wash by mixing a whole egg with a spoonful of water until they're completely blended. Make light cuts in your pastry sheet to mark where you'll cut later, but don't go all the way through.

Putting It Together:

Move your marked pastry sheet to your lined baking tray then spread your cream cheese mix evenly across it, leaving a small border around the edges. Make little dips in the cream cheese to hold your cherry filling. Drop spoonfuls of cherry filling all over the cream cheese so it's nicely spread out. Brush the pastry edges with your egg wash to help them brown up and keep the filling from leaking.

Baking It Up:

Put your filled pastry in your hot oven and set a timer for 15 minutes. Turn the baking sheet halfway through so everything browns evenly. Keep baking another 5-10 minutes until your pastry rises dramatically and turns a rich golden color. Take it out when the edges look crisp and the center feels firm when you gently touch it. Let it cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Adding The Final Touch:

Mix powdered sugar with tiny splashes of milk until it's just runny enough to drizzle. Put this glaze in a small plastic bag and snip off a tiny corner, or use a piping bag with a small round tip. Drizzle your glaze in a pretty pattern over your cooled pastry and let it set before you serve or store your finished Danish.

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My love for cherries goes back to summers at my grandparents' place in Michigan. They had a bunch of sour cherry trees that gave us tons of fruit every July. I'd help my grandma pit cherries all afternoon while she told stories about growing up during the Depression. Most cherries went into pies and jam, but now and then she'd make cream cheese Danishes like these ones. She always said sometimes the little treats in life were what made everything worthwhile.

Breakfast Pairing Suggestions

Enjoy these rich pastries with some protein-packed sides like a veggie frittata or fluffy scrambled eggs for a well-rounded breakfast. A fresh fruit salad with whatever berries and citrus are in season adds bright flavors that cut through the richness. For those special gatherings, pour some homemade mimosas with fresh-squeezed orange juice and bubbly wine to turn breakfast into a celebration perfect for holidays or lazy weekend get-togethers.

Tasty Twists

Try adding some orange zest to your cream cheese filling for a citrusy kick that works great with cherries. Switch to blueberry pie filling in summer when berries are at their best for a seasonal change. You can also put a thin layer of marzipan under the cream cheese filling if you want a fancier, almond-forward treat. When late summer hits and farmers markets are full of stone fruits, try a peach filling topped with sliced almonds. For a lighter texture that reminds you of Italian pastries, mix a bit of ricotta into your cream cheese.

Keeping Them Fresh

Once your Danishes have cooled completely, store them in the fridge in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers if you need to stack them. Before serving, pop them in a 300°F oven for about five minutes to bring back their crispness without heating the filling too much. If you want to keep them longer, wrap unbaked pastries individually in plastic wrap and then foil before freezing. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, then reheat and add fresh glaze before serving. Don't use the microwave if you can help it – it'll make your once-crispy pastry soggy and sad.

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I can't get enough of these cherry cream cheese Danishes because they turn an ordinary morning into something worth remembering. The way the flaky layers contrast with the smooth filling creates such an interesting texture that always impresses, while the beautiful ruby cherries nestled in cream look amazing even before you take your first bite. Whether I'm making them for holiday mornings, weekend brunches, or just because I feel like Tuesday deserves something special, these pastries remind me that it's the small treats scattered throughout life that bring lasting joy and carry us through our everyday routines.

Frequently Asked Questions

→ Can I replace cherry filling with another type?

Definitely! Cherry is classic, but other options like blueberry, peach, strawberry, or apple pie filling work wonderfully too.

→ What’s the best way to keep leftover danishes fresh?

Pop leftovers into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Enjoy them chilled or rewarm slightly in the oven or microwave.

→ Can these danishes be prepped in advance?

Sure! Prepare them up to baking, cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, brush on egg wash and bake. You might need to extend bake time by a minute or two.

→ Is almond extract a must-have for the filling?

Not at all. While it gives a nice flavor boost, vanilla extract is a great alternative, especially if you’re avoiding nuts.

→ Can I freeze danishes for later?

Yes! Once cooled, wrap each danish tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. They’ll keep up to 2 months. Reheat directly from the freezer at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or let them thaw.