Make these Quick and Simple Cheese Danishes for an easy breakfast treat, with ingredients you probably have at home already!

How is it that men regress from nearly 30 to 3 as soon as the sniffles hit? It’s like the Benjamin Button of Sniffles! Is this a thing? It must be. I’m now officially taking a poll.

Along with taking care of a grown sick man-baby, I had to cook alot this weekend. Like these cheese danishes, oh darn. All that cooking was okay, because when I cook I have reruns of Downton Abbey (OMGERD who watched the season premiere last night?! Gasp, faint, die!) and girly movies that I watched on Friday nights back in college while going wrist deep into a bag of chocolate chips and peanut butter playing in the background on a continuous loop. Lucky for me, I had a captive audience in which to watch Julie and Julia, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Letters to Juliet with. Poor Ben. Yay me!

Since it was the first time for Ben to see most of these movies – he particularly identified with Julie and Julia. Or rather, he particularly identified with Julie’s husband, as he watches her meltdown on the kitchen floor over her inability to truss a bird, boil a lobster, or watch the havoc that gelatinous aspics wreak on plumbing. Yes, I too have wondered why no one makes them anymore… NOT.

And something about how I do all the cooking and I’m suppose to go make this month’s Costco run all by myself and walk the dog might have come up in our, ahem, conversation.

But after all that it made me even more thankful that we watch it and learn from it together… or so would say a therapist. Marital bliss, its a thing. He rolled his eyes, I pinched him in the ribs once or twice (fine, three times) for judging me and my hormonally driven movies choices (which I take Very personally thank you.) and he ate whatever creation I plopped down in front of him. He knows what’s good for him.

Lucky for him he sustained no further bodily injury and he rather enjoyed these quick and simple cheese danishes. And so did I. Gosh, I love being married.

And just to be nice – I let him watch a few episodes of House, and the Seahawks versus Redskins game, too. I’m not heartless.

Now onto a serious topic, carbs.

These danishes were prep to bake to face in 30 minutes. Most of the things you will probably have in your kitchen right now, save the puff pastry, but that’s widely available so it wouldn’t be hard to source. They’re crispy, flaky, golden, delicious and creamy all at the same time – and a total crowd pleaser. Perfect for Sunday football brunches. Can you have a girly football brunch? If so, I’d like to make that happen. I’m sure its a necessity to have bloody Mary’s involved somehow…

Want more danishes in your life? Try my WHOLE category of danishes , including cherry danishes, blueberry, and chocolate pear!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Overhead view of 2 quick and simple cheese danishes on a plate

Quick and Simple Cheese Danish

  • Author: Country Cleaver
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6 Danishes 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Danish
Print Recipe

Description

A quick cheese danish made with puff pastry. Easy for brunches, desserts or just because.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 sheet Puff Pastry dough, thawed
  • 8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
  • 1 tsp Lemon Zest
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 4 Tbsp Sugar
  • 1 Egg + 2 Tablespoons water, whisked for egg wash

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
  2. On a lightly floured surface roll out thawed puff pastry into a 12×9″ rectangle. Cut in half lengthwise, yielding 2 4-½” strips. Cut those two strips crosswise into thirds, to yield six 4×4 ½” pieces.
  3. With a knife, score ½” border around the edge of each piece of puff pastry. Use a fork to make five or six pricks into the dough within the border of each piece. This will help keep the middle of each piece from rising.
  4. In a bowl, stir together softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest. Spoon about 2-3 tablespoons of mixture into the middle of each piece of dough and spread around evenly, ensuring the mix stays within the borders.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes, on the middle rack and rotate the baking sheet half way through baking.
  6. Remove from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or room temperature. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Quick Cookbook Easy Danishes