Cream Cheese Danish

Individual Cream Cheese Danish.

I used the dough from another recipe - Tarte Au Sucre.
And I doubled it. 

See my notes at the end of the recipe.

Tarte Au Sucre

Note:  This is a wonderful recipe on its own. But if using it to make the Cream Cheese Danish

you only use the dough from this recipe, not the topping.  

Sugar Yeast Cake

Source: Anne Willan

This yeast cake with a sugar topping is popular in the North,

which is sugar beet country. you can double the quantity of dough

and use half for 'pain brioche', a rich bread that the French like

to toast for breakfast.

Topping

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar

Dough

1/3 cup of milk

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons yeast

1 ­1/2 cups flour (more as needed)

2 eggs

3/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter (soft)

Make the yeast dough.
Put the lukewarm milk in a small bowl, add the sugar and add the yeast. Leave to proof.
Sift the flour on a marble slab or board and make a well in the centre. Add the

eggs, salt and dissolved yeast mixture. Briefly mix the central ingredients then draw
in the flour with both hands, pulling the dough into large crumbs with the fingertips.
Knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes or until very smooth and elastic, adding more

flour if necessary so that the dough is not too sticky. pound the butter to soften it thoroughly,
then work in into the dough, slapping the dough on the work surface, just until the butter is

thoroughly incorporated. Transfer the dough to a light oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth
and let rise until almost doubled in bulk.

Thoroughly butter the pie pan.

Transfer the risen dough to a floured work surface and fold it in thirds, patting it to knock
out the air. flour your hands and flatten the dough into the base, not the sides of the pan.
Let rise for 15 minutes and then spread with soft butter and sprinkle with the brown sugar.
Let rise for 15 minutes and then bake for 15 or 20 minutes in a 400°F oven.

Serve at room temperature.

MY NOTES

Mixed the flour, sugar,  and warm milk  and eggs together in a round dough pail. Cover.    Leave to rest for 20 minutes. (This allows for more even hydration and  better gluten formation.)   Add the yeast, salt and butter.  Used the pinch and fold method to incorporate. Cover and leave to rest again for 20 minutes.   Stretch and fold two more times in the next 40 minutes.  Cover and leave  until the dough has doubled.    Now the dough is ready to shape.

I made a double batch of this dough.

Tipped out on to floured board.

Divided the dough in half.

Rolled out into a rectangle and cut into 

3" squares.

Folded each corner into the middle , placed on a parchment covered baking sheet.
 Covered with plastic wrap  and left to proof for

about 35 to 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F

While the Danish is rising make the 

cream cheese filling.

Cream Cheese Filling

2 packages 8 oz. cream cheese
3/4 c sugar
1 egg beaten
1 t. vanilla extract
1/8 t. salt


To make filling beat together cream cheese with sugar, add egg and
vanilla extract and salt

Make a dent in the middle of each Danish
I used my fingers, but the back of a spoon would also work.

  Brush with an egg wash.
(Beat an egg with a little water)

Fill the indent with a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture.

Bake at 375°F for approximate 15 minutes
or until pastry is golden brown.

Drizzle with Glaze while Danish are still warm.

Glaze

2 1/2 c confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons soft butter
1/4 c milk
1 t. vanilla extract

Mix together until smooth.