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Classic Danish Pastry with Cheese and Fruit Fillings Recipe

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4.8 from 125 reviews

This recipe for Danish Pastry brings classic European baking into your kitchen with tender, flaky layers created by careful laminating of butter into dough. The pastries are filled with a delicious creamy cheese mixture and fruit jam, then topped with a sweet glaze and optional crushed nuts for extra texture and flavor. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, these golden-brown Danish pastries impress with their buttery richness and delicate crumb.

Ingredients

Scale

Dough

  • 32 tablespoons (454g or 1 pound) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature, 65°F to 68°F
  • 5 1/2 cups (660g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
  • 4 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons (15g) table salt (reduce to 1 1/2 teaspoons if using salted butter)
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cardamom (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1 cup (227g) milk, cold
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup (76g to 113g) lukewarm water
  • 2 large eggs

Cheese Filling

  • Half an 8-ounce package (113g) cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup (113g) cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
  • 3 tablespoons (35g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 teaspoon table salt

Fruit Filling and Toppings

  • About 1 to 1 1/4 cups (298g to 369g) jam, preserves, or canned fruit pie filling
  • 1 large egg white, beaten lightly with 1 tablespoon cold water (for brushing edges)
  • 1 1/2 cups (170g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons (28g to 35g) water or milk (for glaze)
  • Pinch of table salt (for glaze)
  • Crushed nuts (optional, to garnish)

Instructions

  1. Prepare Butter: Cut 1/4″ off each end of the 4 sticks of butter; reserve about 2 tablespoons to incorporate immediately, and set the rest aside for laminating.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and optional cardamom. Rub in the 2 tablespoons cold butter with fingers until well blended and no large lumps remain. This coats flour for tender dough.
  3. Add Wet Ingredients and Knead: Add vanilla, cold milk, lukewarm water, and eggs. Mix and knead to a sticky cohesive dough using a mixer or bread machine dough cycle. Dough may stick to bowl sides and bottom.
  4. Rest Dough: Shape dough into a ball, place on floured surface, cover with plastic wrap, and rest for 10 minutes.
  5. Prepare Butter Blocks: Cut each butter stick in half lengthwise (8 pieces). Arrange 4 pieces side by side on floured parchment, sprinkle flour, cover with another parchment, and pound/roll into a 6″ x 9″ rectangle. Repeat with remaining 4 pieces to form two rectangles total.
  6. Roll Dough and Enclose Butter: Roll dough into a 12″ x 24″ rectangle. Place one butter rectangle on center third, fold one side of dough over butter, lay the second butter rectangle atop that, and fold remaining dough over to enclose butter, pinching edges closed.
  7. First Fold and Chill: Turn dough 90°, roll into a 10″ x 24″ rectangle. Fold each side into center, then fold over once more to form a 6″ x 10″ packet. Dust with flour, wrap in plastic, chill 20 minutes.
  8. Second Fold and Chill: Roll chilled dough again to 10″ x 24″, fold as before to 7″ x 12″ packet, roll one final time and fold. Lightly flour, wrap loosely, and chill for 2 hours or up to 16 hours for optimal relaxation and rise.
  9. Prepare Cheese Filling: Combine cream cheese, cottage/ricotta, sugar, egg, and salt. Stir until smooth or process in food processor for best texture.
  10. Divide Dough: Remove dough from fridge, unwrap, cut off one-third for first batch, keep remainder refrigerated. Divide piece into 12 portions, form smooth balls, then flatten into 3″ to 3 1/2″ rounds with thinner centers and raised edges to hold filling. Place rounds on parchment-lined or greased baking sheets.
  11. Prepare Additional Batches: Repeat with remaining dough halves, yielding three baking sheets each with 12 rounds.
  12. Proof Dough: Cover Danish rounds lightly with greased plastic wrap and let rise about 1 hour until slightly puffy. Preheat oven to 400°F near end of rising.
  13. Fill and Brush: Press centers flat, spoon a heaping teaspoon of cheese or fruit filling into each well. Brush pastry edges with beaten egg white and water mixture to promote golden browning.
  14. Bake: Bake at 400°F for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown. Transfer hot pastries to cooling rack.
  15. Make Glaze: Whisk confectioners’ sugar with pinch of salt, add water or milk gradually until glaze is drizzle-able.
  16. Glaze and Garnish: Drizzle glaze generously over cooled pastries. Sprinkle with crushed nuts if desired. Serve immediately or once cooled.

Notes

  • Cardamom adds a traditional Scandinavian flavor but can be omitted if unavailable.
  • Butter temperature is important: it should be cool but pliable, about 65°F to 68°F, to create proper layers.
  • Laminating the dough (folding butter into dough multiple times) creates the flaky pastry texture characteristic of Danish pastry.
  • The dough is sticky at first but will become easier to handle after chilling and folding.
  • You can substitute cottage cheese with ricotta in the cheese filling depending on preference.
  • Using a bread machine dough cycle simplifies mixing and kneading.
  • Filling quantities are enough for 36 pastries; you may prepare half the cheese or fruit filling if mixing varieties.
  • Ensure your oven temperature is accurate for optimal browning.
  • Glaze adds sweetness and a pleasant finish but can be skipped if preferred.
  • Chilling times improve texture and dough handling but can be shortened if necessary.

Keywords: Danish pastry, laminated dough, cream cheese filling, fruit jam, flaky pastry, breakfast pastry, Scandinavian dessert

Find it online: https://cookedbycleo.com/classic-danish-pastry-with-cheese-and-fruit-fillings-recipe/