Raspberry Danish

This impressive raspberry Danish is stuffed with a sweet cream cheese and fruit filling and topped with a sugary glaze and crunchy toasted almonds.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Calories: 290 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
• 1 cup powdered sugar, divided
• 2 cups fresh raspberries, divided
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream, divided
• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
• 0.125 teaspoon salt
• 0.25 cup all-purpose flour, or as needed
• 0.125 teaspoon almond extract
• 0.25 cup toasted sliced almonds
• 0.125 teaspoon ground cardamom

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Whisk together white sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small saucepan. Stir in 1 cup of the raspberries and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally and mashing raspberries with a wooden spoon, until raspberries break down and sauce thickens, about 4 minutes. Remove from saucepan to a medium bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon heavy cream, orange zest, cardamom, and almond extract with an electric mixer on medium speed in a medium bowl until smooth, about 1 minute. Cover and chill until ready to use.

Step 3

Whisk together egg and water in a small bowl. Brush exposed pastry lightly with egg mixture. Fold strips over filling, alternating each side to resemble a twist or a braid. Fold the bottom ends up to seal the filling inside. Repeat with the remaining sheet of puff pastry and the rest of the filling. Brush outside of each pastry with egg wash.

Step 4

Transfer pastries, on parchment, to separate baking sheets. Freeze until pastry is firm, about 1 hour. (To make ahead, wrap Danish in parchment and then plastic wrap; freeze up to 1 month.)

Step 5

While pastries freeze, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) with racks in upper and lower third of oven.

Step 6

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and puffed, rotating position of baking sheets in oven halfway through, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 30 minutes.

Step 7

Meanwhile, whisk together remaining 5 tablespoons cream and 3/4 cup powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Drizzle over Danish and sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Step 8

Place 1 puff pastry sheet on a floured piece of parchment paper. Roll into a 12x9-inch rectangle. Cut 10 to 12 (3 inches long and 1 inch thick) diagonal strips on each side, about 1 inch apart, leaving center 3 inches of pastry uncut. Spread 1/2 cup of the cream cheese filling in center (uncut) section of pastry, leaving a 1/2-inch border at the top and bottom.

Step 9

Top with 3 tablespoons of the raspberry mixture, and spread raspberry mixture gently over cream cheese layer. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup raspberries.