Raspberry Almond Puff Pastry Danish Recipe
This Raspberry Almond Puff Pastry Danish is a delightful breakfast treat or dessert featuring a flaky puff pastry base topped with a creamy almond-infused cream cheese filling and sweet raspberry jam. Finished with a simple almond glaze and lightly toasted sliced almonds, these danishes offer a perfect balance of buttery, fruity, and nutty flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 large danishes 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
Pastry
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
- milk for brushing
- 2/3 cup raspberry jam or preserves
Topping
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 2 Tbsp water, approximately, to thin
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- pinch salt
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to ensure it reaches the correct temperature for baking the puff pastry danish.
- Prepare Filling: In a small bowl, whisk the egg until smooth. Add the flour, sugar, and salt and whisk until well combined. Then add lemon juice and almond extract, mixing thoroughly. Finally, add the cream cheese and whisk until the mixture is mostly smooth, with only tiny lumps remaining, which will not affect the texture after baking.
- Prepare Pastry Base: On a sheet of parchment paper, gently unfold and roll out the thawed puff pastry sheet to flatten and smooth it out. Cut into two rectangles roughly 10 inches by 5 inches.
- Score Pastry Edges: Very gently score around the edges of each rectangle about 3/4 inch inward to create a raised border that will puff up around the filling during baking. Place the parchment with the scored pastry onto a baking sheet.
- Initial Bake: Brush the edges of the pastry lightly with milk and bake for 15 minutes. The pastry should become very puffy and golden.
- Create Indentations: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and gently press down the centers of the pastry rectangles to form shallow indentations for the filling. Be careful not to press too hard or all the way through.
- Fill Pastries: Evenly divide the cream cheese filling between the two rectangles, spreading it gently with the back of a spoon. Dollop about 4-5 spoonfuls of raspberry jam over each cream cheese layer and gently spread without mixing the layers together.
- Final Bake: Bake for about 15 minutes until the pastry is a deep golden brown and the cream cheese filling is set. Optionally tent with foil after 5 minutes to prevent over-browning.
- Cool Pastries: Remove from oven and allow pastries to cool completely before glazing to ensure the glaze sets nicely.
- Prepare Glaze: Whisk together confectioner’s sugar, water, almond extract, and a pinch of salt until smooth and pourable.
- Glaze and Finish: Drizzle the glaze over the cooled pastries and immediately sprinkle with lightly toasted sliced almonds. Allow glaze to set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Use room temperature cream cheese to ensure a smooth filling without lumps.
- Be gentle when scoring and pressing the pastry to maintain the puff structure.
- Tenting with foil during baking helps prevent the pastry from over-browning.
- Allow pastries to cool fully before glazing for best results.
- To toast sliced almonds, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat and stir frequently until golden and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
Keywords: Raspberry almond danish, puff pastry dessert, cream cheese danish, almond glaze, raspberry jam pastries
