Apple and Cardamon Cheese Danishes
Do you feel like you can breathe easier again? Inauguration day was such a relief and it feels so good to have adults back in charge. Is this what positive vibes in America feels like?! And how amazing was it to see the Obamas again?! Gosh, I miss them. In other good news, my grandma got her first vaccine shot yesterday! In addition to her, my mom and brother have also been vaccinated. I’m almost scared to say it, but I’m actually feeling genuinely hopeful for once. I even started looking at wedding venues but then chickened out because the idea of a large group of people I really like gathering still sounds unsettling. Baby steps. We’ll get there!
Anyways, it’s almost the weekend and it’s going to be perfectly normal, uneventful weekend! Which looks like this recently: sleeping in, coffee made by someone who doesn’t live in this house, house projects (you should see our garage!), yard work (very new to me), and lots of dough… like the literal flour and water kind of dough. I’m on a croissant journey right now (more details on that later) and I just got a sourdough starter! Reuben just made a poolish to try out a new pizza dough technique. In other words we eat a lot of bread over the weekends.
Everything is a work in progress and still very much in the experimental stage. But I feel quite confident that my puff pastry skills will carry me through. Puff pastry has become one of my favorite things to make. There’s something so meditative about the lamination process. I have a really wonderful puff pastry recipe in my cookbook (coming soon, I promise!). I can make it in my sleep at this point and when I do I’ll normally make a double batch so I can keep one in the freezer! It’s a perfect base for tarts, pop-tarts, chicken pot pie (current craving), and danishes!
Assembling the Danishes
Danishes are typically made with a leavened pastry like croissants, but I’m not on that level yet and puff pastry totally works. Until my cookbook comes out this fall, I suggest using store-bought puff pastry! They are pretty great in a pinch and found in the frozen section of your local grocery store.
Acquiring or making your own pastry is honestly the hardest part of these danishes. The cream cheese filling is a simple mixture with sugar and an egg. And the apples are tossed with brown sugar and cardamon. Such a lovely flavor combo! I used some beautiful Autumn Glory Apples that naturally have a hint of cinnamon and caramel. The cardamon is a lovely spice and gives the danishes a woodsy note.
To assemble the danishes, you want to first roll out the pastry and then cut into 12 4-inch squares. Brush a little egg wash over the center of the pastry and it will act like glue. Fold the corners over and press into the center so the corner sticks. I think the design of these pastries are so pretty! Spoon the cream cheese filling over the center and it will naturally seep into the void. Top the cream cheese with some thinly slice apples and finish with a brushing of egg wash so it bakes up nice and golden! Immediately out of the oven, you’ll want to apply a honey glaze for that bakery shine and a sprinkle of chopped pistachios for color and crunch.
A perfect way to start the weekend
These danishes are buttery, full of cream cheese goodness, perfectly sweet, and packed with cozy, warm winter flavors! Another wonderful thing about these danishes is that they freeze beautifully! Enjoy a few fresh and freeze whatever you don’t finish and warm up later for an easy bakery quality treat!
Apple and cardamon Cheese Danishes
makes 12 danishes
filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 autumn glory apple, thinly sliced
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp salt
for the pastries:
1lb puff pastry, store-bought or homemade (recipe will be in my debut cookbook)
1 large egg, for brushing
1/4 cup chopped pistachios
glaze:
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp water
steps:
In a medium bowl mix to combine cream cheese, sugar, and egg. In another medium bowl, mix to combine apple slices, brown sugar, cardamon, and salt.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry into a roughly 13x17-inch rectangle. Trim the edges to make a neat 12x16-inch rectangle, then cut into 12 4-inch squares. Arrange 6 squares of pastry on each tray, spaced at least 1 inch a part.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg for the egg wash. Brush the egg wash over the center of each square of pastry. Gently fold each corner of the pastry over, bringing it towards the center, and firmly press down so it sticks (If the pastry gets a little too warm, place the trays in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to firm back up). Place a heaping tablespoon of cream cheese filling over the center of each, the filling will seep into the cavity of the pastry. Arrange 3 apple slices over the cream cheese. Brush the exposed surface of the pastry with egg wash. Repeat with remaining pastries and toppings.
Bake until flaky and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.
In the meantime, whisk to combine honey and water in a small bowl for the glaze. After taking the pastries out of the oven, immediately brush them with the honey glaze and sprinkle crushed pistachios over the center. Allow the pastries to cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.
storage and reheating notes: danishes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven until warmed through, 5 to 10 minutes.