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Golden flaky Raspberry Danish with cream cheese and berry filling fresh from the oven

Raspberry Danish

This easy homemade version brings bakery quality right to your kitchen with quick steps and simple ingredients. The secret is pairing tart fruit with a rich center for the best flavor balance. It's healthy enough for breakfast yet indulgent enough for a holiday brunch or weekend potluck. You will love how the buttery layers puff up golden in the oven while filling your entire house with an incredible bakery smell.
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Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Raspberry Danish recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 459kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 sheet Pepperidge Farm puff pastry Thawed according to package directions but kept chilled until assembly so the butter layers stay firm.
  • 8 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese Softened to room temperature for easier blending into a creamy center.
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar Adds mild sweetness to balance the tangy cream cheese filling.
  • 2 large large egg One yolk used for filling structure, one whole egg beaten with water for the outer golden shine.
  • 1 teaspoon McCormick vanilla extract Enhances the sweet bakery aroma in the cheese center.
  • 4 tablespoons Smucker's raspberry jam Provides rich berry flavor that holds up well during baking.
  • 12 whole fresh red raspberries Arranged on top of the jam for a fresh, tart burst in every bite.
  • 0.5 cups Domino powdered sugar Sifted to eliminate lumps before whisking into the final glaze.
  • 2 teaspoons whole milk Thins the powdered sugar into a smooth, drizzlable consistency.

Instructions

  • Beat 8 ounces of room temperature Philadelphia cream cheese, 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 1 large egg yolk, and 1 teaspoon of McCormick vanilla extract in a medium bowl on medium speed for 2 minutes. The mixture will start clumpy then suddenly turn silky smooth. You'll smell sweet vanilla right away and see all yellow streaks vanish as the egg yolk blends fully. Make sure you scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula halfway through so no dense cream cheese pockets remain at the bottom. (I tried skipping the egg yolk once, the filling melted completely and ran all over the pan. Don't skip it.) Don't overbeat or air bubbles will cause the filling to puff and collapse. Preheat the oven to 400°F now so it's fully hot by the time the pan goes in.
    Mixing cream cheese filling in a glass bowl for a Raspberry Danish
  • Unroll 1 sheet of thawed Pepperidge Farm puff pastry onto a parchment paper sheet lined tray. Cut the sheet into 4 equal rectangles using a sharp knife. Score a 1/2-inch border inside each rectangle without cutting all the way through. The pastry dough should feel cool to the touch and hold its sharp corner edges without slumping or sticking to your fingers. Prick the inner rectangle 4 times with a fork so the center stays flat while baking. Cut gently through the top layers, scoring allows the outer edges to puff high while the center holds the filling.
    Scoring puff pastry rectangles on parchment paper for Raspberry Danish
  • Spoon 2 tablespoons of cream cheese filling into the center of each scored rectangle. Top with 1 tablespoon of Smucker's raspberry jam and 3 fresh whole red raspberries. Brush the outer pastry borders with a beaten egg wash made from 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon of water. You'll see the bright red jam contrast sharply against the pale cream cheese center and the glossy egg wash shine on the outer border. Keep the toppings strictly inside the scored line so the edges can rise freely in the heat. (My first batch overflowed because I heaped 3 tablespoons of jam inside, 1 tablespoon is the goldilocks amount.) Egg wash seals the outer border so steam builds structure instead of drying out the crust.
    Adding cream cheese and raspberry jam filling to Raspberry Danish rectangles
  • Bake at 400°F on the middle rack for 16 to 18 minutes. The pastry borders will rise dramatically and turn a deep golden brown while the jam center bubbles softly. You'll smell toasted butter and sweet fruit filling the room around minute 14. Watch for the bottom edges to brown fully without scorching on the parchment paper. Bake at 400°F not 350°F, high steam creates high rise in puff pastry layers.
    Baked golden brown Raspberry Danish pastries on a baking sheet
  • Whisk 1/2 cup of Domino powdered sugar with 2 teaspoons of whole milk in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle the glaze generously over the warm pastries after they cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack. The glaze will set slightly as it hits the warm crust, turning into a semi-translucent shiny finish over the deep red berries. Drizzle while warm, heat sets the glaze into a thin crispy shell instead of a runny syrup.
    Finished glazed Raspberry Danish served on a white plate

Notes

Keep your leftover pastries in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, but line it with paper towels first. Those paper towels pull out extra moisture so the bottom crust won't turn into a soggy mess over time. When you're ready to eat, pop cold pastries into a 350°F oven or air fryer for 5 minutes to get that flaky crispness back. Whatever you do, don't microwave them! The trapped steam destroys those buttery layers and leaves the pastry completely rubbery. Finally, toss them out if you spot liquid pooling in the container or catch a sour smell.

Nutrition

Serving: 155g | Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 150mg | Sodium: 238mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 51g