Cranberry Danish Pastry (Printable View)

Flaky, buttery pastry with tangy cream cheese and sweet cranberry sauce, ideal for breakfast or festive treats.

# Ingredient List:

→ Pastry

01 - 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (approximately 8.8 oz)
02 - 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

→ Cream Cheese Filling

03 - 5 oz cream cheese, softened
04 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - Zest of 1/2 lemon

→ Cranberry Filling

07 - 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
08 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
09 - 1/4 cup water
10 - 1/2 teaspoon orange zest

→ Glaze

11 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
12 - 1 to 2 tablespoons milk

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Combine cranberries, sugar, water, and orange zest in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
03 - In a bowl, blend cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until smooth and creamy.
04 - Roll out the thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 12 x 12 inch square. Cut into 8 equal squares.
05 - On each pastry square, place a heaping spoonful of the cream cheese mixture in the center and top with a teaspoon of cranberry filling.
06 - Fold two opposite corners of each square toward the center, slightly overlapping, and press gently to seal.
07 - Arrange the pastries on the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with beaten egg.
08 - Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown and puffed. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
09 - Whisk powdered sugar with enough milk to create a thick glaze. Drizzle over the cooled pastries before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The puff pastry does the heavy lifting for you, turning simple ingredients into something that looks like you spent hours at a bakery
  • That perfect balance of tart cranberries against sweet cream cheese is genuinely addictive, like a conversation between flavors
  • They're beautiful enough for a holiday spread but easy enough for a Tuesday morning without any fuss
02 -
  • Let your cranberry filling cool completely before assembling. I learned this the hard way when my first batch turned into a soggy mess. Room temperature filling keeps your pastry crispy.
  • Don't skip the egg wash. It's the difference between a homemade pastry and one that looks professionally made. One egg, beaten with a fork, changes everything.
03 -
  • Quality puff pastry matters more than you'd think. Butter-based pastry from the frozen section of a good grocery store will outperform cheaper alternatives, and the difference shows in every bite
  • Room temperature cream cheese blends smoothly without lumps. Cold cream cheese creates texture problems that frustrate you halfway through assembling

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