Starbucks Copycat Cheese Danish

Ingredients

• 1 package Frozen puff pastry sheets (Thawed; package weight is not specified in the source.)
• 8 oz Cream cheese (Softened; regular, low-fat, or flavored cream cheese may be used according to the body text.)
• 1 cup Sugar (The body text says another sweetener may be substituted.)
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 tsp Lemon juice
• 1 tsp Lemon zest

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking sheet.

2. 2

   Unfold the thawed puff pastry and slice it into small rectangles. Cut along the pastry folds and then cut each section in half to create 12 rectangles.

3. 3

   Place the pastry rectangles in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

4. 4

   While the pastries are cooking, whip together the softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

5. 5

   Remove the partially baked pastries from the oven. Use a spoon to press an oval indentation into the center of each pastry.

6. 6

   Spoon 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture into each oval.

7. 7

   Return the pastries to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes, until the edges of the pastry are golden brown.

8. 8

   Remove the danishes from the oven and allow them to cool before serving.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To freeze, cool the danishes completely, freeze them on a baking sheet for about 1 hour, then transfer them to a sealed bag with the air removed; they keep for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and warm in the microwave for about 30 seconds. The source notes that the rectangles can be made larger, yielding 6 instead of 12. Let the cream cheese filling cool before eating.

Nutrition per serving

• breakfast
• dessert
• pastry
• baked
• vegetarian
• make-ahead
• freezer-friendly
• copycat