Cheese Danish

Ingredients

Pastry

• 1 ½ cups/6 3/4 ounces/192 grams bread flour, plus more for the work surface and the rolling pin
• 2 tablespoons/24 grams granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons/6 grams active dry yeast
• ¾ teaspoon/3 grams kosher salt
• 14 tablespoons/198 grams cold, unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks), roughly cubed
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup/60 milliliters cold whole milk

Danish

• 8 ounces/226 grams cream cheese
• 1 ¼ cup/160 grams confectioners’ sugar (80 grams)
• 1 large egg yolk
• Pinch of salt
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract (1/4 tsp)
• 1 batch Danish dough (see above)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons/30 milliliters whole milk (1 tbsp)

Directions

Pastry

1. Blend together flour, butter, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps.
2. Drizzle 3 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in processor) until incorporated.
3. Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated, then test again. Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough.
4. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat.
5. Gather dough together, with a pastry scraper if you have one, and press into a 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Danish

1. In a large bowl, beat together the 226 grams cream cheese, 32 grams confectioners’ sugar, the egg yolk, the salt and the ½ teaspoon vanilla until smooth.
2. Transfer the mixture to a resealable plastic bag; set aside.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 12 1/2-inch square.
4. Trim 1/4 inch off each edge. Cut the dough into nine 4-inch squares.
5. Brush the corners of each square with a bit of the beaten egg, then fold each corner into the center and press down gently. Transfer the squares to 2 parchment-lined baking sheets.
6. Cut the tip off one corner of the filled plastic bag so you have a 1/2-inch hole.
7. Use the bag to pipe the cheese filling onto the center of each dough square. Loosely cover the pastries with plastic wrap and let stand until slightly puffed, about 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
8. Remove the plastic and gently brush the top and sides of the dough with the beaten egg.
9. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Continue to bake until pastries are puffed and deep golden brown, another 6 to 8 minutes.

Drizzle

1. Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining 1 cup/128 grams confectioners’ sugar and the milk.
2. Let the Danish cool slightly on the sheet then drizzle with the glaze. Serve warm or at room temperature.