Start this recipe the day before you want to serve.These cream cheese strawberry Danish, with perfect, flaky Danish pastry, strawberries, jam and cream cheese are easier than you may think. The perfect Danish recipe from brunch to afternoon tea.
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Instructions
DAY BEFORE: Make the Danish pastry.
Preheat the oven to 200C / 395F / 180C fan forced. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
SHAPE THE DANISHES: On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to just over 30x40cm (about 12×16 inches). Trim the edges from the rolled dough, then cut into 12 even squares about 10cm / 4in square (4 from the long side, 3 from the wide side). For smaller pastries, cut them into 20 pieces rough 8cm square (so cut the dough 5 squares long x 4 squares wide)
Place the squares of dough onto the baking sheet / trays (6 on each), dot just a touch of water in the centre, then fold each of the corners into the centre. Press the centres down a little to make a dent. Let them rest for 10-15 minutes
THE FILLING: Wash, dry and cut the strawberries into small pieces and set aside.
Add the cream cheese, sugar, milk and lemon zest to a medium bowl and beat together until smooth. You can use an electric mixer or just a spatula.
FILL THE PASTRIES: The following quantities are written for 12 or 20 pastries respectively.
Place ½ -1 teaspoon of jam into the dent of each pastries, pressing it in slightly.
Top the jam with 1 - 2 teaspoons of cream cheese mixture, then use a spoon to gently fan out the edges, so that it covers the jam (this just helps to keep the jam in place when they bake).
Scatter the tops with the fresh strawberry pieces.
Brush the exposed pastry areas with the egg wash and sprinkle the demerara sugar around the edges.
Bake for 18-22 minutes (depending on size) or until golden brown, turning the trays after 10 minutes.
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Notes
Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons).
This recipe should be started the day before so the dough can rest (a minimum of 10 hours in total).
Can I use puff pastry? Yes, you can use frozen puff pastry however the texture will be different. Still flaky but crisp right through instead of soft inside.
All ovens vary, check for doneness 2-3 minutes before the recipe suggests.
Serving: Lovely served warm or room temperature.
Storage: Leftover strawberry danishes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing: Dough can be frozen so you can freeze half for up to 3 months and make a smaller batch of pastries.
Have you tried this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.