Description
This delicious Chocolate Cream Cheese Danish recipe combines flaky puff pastry with a rich, creamy filling of sweetened cream cheese topped with smooth homemade chocolate ganache. Perfect for breakfast or dessert, these elegant pastries are baked until golden and finished with a luscious chocolate topping that’s sure to impress.
Ingredients
Puff Pastry
- 2 Frozen puff pastry sheets
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp water
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Thaw Puff Pastry: Place the frozen puff pastry sheets on the counter and allow them to thaw for 30 minutes until pliable but still cold.
- Make Chocolate Ganache: Pour the semi-sweet chocolate chips into a bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming but not boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for 1 minute 30 seconds.
- Stir Ganache: Gently stir the chocolate and cream mixture until smooth. If there are still chunks of chocolate, heat the ganache in 15-second intervals in the microwave, stirring well between sessions. Let the ganache sit at room temperature for 2 hours until it achieves a pudding-like texture.
- Prepare Cream Cheese Filling: In a small bowl, beat the room-temperature cream cheese using a hand mixer on high speed for 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat for another minute. Mix in the vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Prepare Puff Pastry: Lightly flour a work surface and place the thawed puff pastry sheets on it. Press the seams together with your fingers and use a sharp knife to cut each sheet into three long rectangles by cutting along the seams.
- Cut Rectangles: Cut each long rectangle in half to form six rectangles per sheet. Repeat for both sheets, yielding 12 rectangles total.
- Apply Egg Wash: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Using a pastry brush, spread the egg wash around the edges of each pastry rectangle to help seal and give a golden color when baked.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Sheets: Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Score Puff Pastry: Arrange the rectangles six per sheet. Using a sharp knife, cut a smaller rectangle inside each, leaving a 1/2 inch border on all sides without cutting all the way through, so the edges will rise around the filling during baking.
- Fill Pastry: Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese filling into the center of each rectangle and spread it within the scored 'box' on the pastry.
- Chill Pastry Sheets: Place one sheet in the refrigerator and one sheet in the freezer. Leave the sheet in the freezer for 5 minutes to chill the butter in the pastry, which helps it puff up nicely while baking.
- Bake Pastries: Bake one sheet at a time at 400°F for 17-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Allow each batch to cool completely before baking the next.
- Add Chocolate Topping: Once the pastries are fully cooled, spoon the prepared chocolate ganache over the cream cheese filling, making sure some cream cheese remains visible around the edges for the perfect balance of flavors and textures.
Notes
- Ensure cream cheese is at room temperature for a smooth filling.
- Do not overheat the cream when making ganache to prevent it from burning.
- Chilling the pastry before baking ensures better puffing and flakiness.
- Use a sharp knife for clean cuts without tearing the pastry.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
