Easy Cream Cheese Danish

1. Heat the oven to 400 F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar, the egg yolk, a pinch of salt, and ½ tsp vanilla extract until smooth. Transfer the cream cheese to a pastry bag and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, beat the egg. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the sheets of puff pastry dough and lay flat. Cut each sheet into 4 squares. Using a pastry brush, brush off the excess flour.
4. Brush the corners of each square with the beaten egg. Fold the corners into the center of the square and press down gently. Transfer the squares to the prepared baking sheets.
5. Cut the tip off the pastry bag to create a ½-inch hole. Pipe about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese filling onto the center of each Danish and top the cream cheese with 1 teaspoon of jam.
6. Gently brush the top and sides of the Danish with the beaten egg. Bake for 8 minutes, rotate the sheets, and continue to bake for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the pastries are puffed and golden brown. Let cool slightly.
7. Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, milk, the remaining ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
8. Drizzle the glaze over the Danishes. Serve warm or at room temperature. The Danishes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

TIP: We like to use a pastry bag to pipe the cream cheese filling onto the Danish because it’s tidy and precise. If you don’t have one, you can use a Ziploc bag. Add the filling, seal it up, cut the tip off one corner and pipe!