Oh, how I love this recipe. It’s one of the easiest I’ve ever made and it couldn’t be more delicious. I’ve been making the plain cream cheese version of this recipe for years and I’ve just recently concocted a pumpkin spice version. It’s a perfect little parcel of fall flavors and super easy to whip up when entertaining, especially as an easy breakfast for overnight guests.
Before I get to the recipe, I’d like to tell you about this book! Months ago I entered the Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook contest, where any submitting food blogger with a popular voted recipe could win a chance to be published. The winners were chosen and then announced at the International Food Blogger Conference this year, and although I wasn’t in attendance to hear the good news, I was notified soon after that I would be included!
This big, beautiful cookbook is chock-full of inspiration and delicious food from all over the world.
As for the recipe, you’ll need 3 sheets of puff pastry. Each sheet is cut into 4 pieces then topped with a heaping tablespoon of filling. On each filled square, the back of one corner is brushed with a little egg wash and the opposite corner is folded over. Gently press the two corners together with your fingers, holding it above the filling. Allow the fused corners to gently lay on top of the filling. They are then egg-washed, baked, glazed and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Low effort – big payoff. I love it!
Easy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish
Adapted from Ina Garten’s Easy Cheese Danish [click for printable recipe]
Yield: 12 pastries
Pastry:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup canned, cooked pumpkin
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tsp. allspice or pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 sheets (1 1/2 boxes) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Glaze:
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon milk
**extra powdered sugar for dusting
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream them together on low speed until smooth. With the mixer still on low, add the egg yolks, pumpkin, vanilla, salt, and spices and mix until just combined. Do not over beat!
Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until it’s a 10 by 10-inch square. Cut the sheet into quarters with a sharp knife. Place a heaping tablespoon of pumpkin-cheese filling into the middle of each of the 4 squares. Brush the border of each pastry with egg wash and fold 2 opposite corners to the center, brushing and overlapping the corners of each pastry so they firmly stick together. Brush the top of the pastries with egg wash. Place the pastries on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining sheets of puff pastry and refrigerate the filled Danish for 15 minutes. Bake the pastries for about 20 minutes, until puffed and brown.
Whisk to combine the confectioners’ sugar and milk until a smooth glaze forms. Generously drizzle the glaze over pastries and sprinkle them with additional powdered sugar (can re-heat for 10 seconds in microwave).
I love anything with a pumpkin spice to it or anything containing butternut squash!
I'm a sucker for Pumpkin Bread. I could eat a slice everyday for the rest of my life, lol!
BTW- Congratulations on getting your recipe in the cookbook. That is really awesome!
Congrats Heather! And these look fabulous! 🙂
I love pumpkin bread and apple cider doughnuts, favorite fall foods.
I looove caramel apples (anything covered in caramel really :p)
congrats! that's huge/great news 🙂
Pumpkin Roll – something about the cream cheese and pumpkin combination is so delicious! Can't wait to try these.
I have to say I'm really into Apple Pie right now…I think its because I used to not like it when I was little but have grown a taste for it. Same goes for pumpkin flavored cupcakes with cream cheese frosting!!! YUM!! 🙂
I love pumpkin cake, apple crisp and hot apple cider!! Those are my favorite fall treats:)
I'm a simple girl; my absolute favorite treat is pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Even simpler, I buy the mix from Lehi Roller Mills. Divine!
My favorite fall treat is PIE. Pumpkin pie, apple pie, plum pie… love them all! And with real whipped cream. Yum!
I love anything pumpkin!!
My favorite fall treat is apples picked right off the tree.
Glazed Pumpkin Cookies… The smell, when I bring them into the office, lingers all day long and makes me think of Fall!!! YUM!!!!
I love anything pumpkin or anything with caramel.
our favorite fall past time is to hand pick our own apples from a local farm and create these monstrous caramel/chocolate/etc, etc apples! these things come out SO HUGE we have to cut them into wedges, otherwise we can't get our mouth around them!
[kristinmik at gmail dot com]
Pumpkin Bread!
Your danish sure look delicious! Your recipe published in a cookbook looks even better! That's so exciting! I thought maybe it was going to be YOUR cookbook…can't wait for that one!
Awesome danishes and great news about the cookbook! Congrats!
I think my favourite fall treat is definitely apple pie. Mmm I need to make some!
I am still in love with the good ol' pumpkin cream cheese roll. I think the combo of the spicy pumpkin and the sweet smooth cream cheese is heavenly! Love the new banner by the way 😉
I loveeeeee cider and cinnamon sugar donuts! 🙂
I love all the luscious pumpkin foods that are perfect this time of year.
There is a little restaraunt cafe by my old house that made the best butternut squash ravioli with roasted hazlenuts…I think I may need to drive back over there soon. YUM!
My Favorite fall treat would have to be Pumpkin muffins yum!!!Thank you for the chance to win this lovely cookbook..
Anything pumpkin…nuff said.
Congratulations on being published in the book…how exciting.
I would have to agree with you, I love Carmel Apples…well I love carmel anything.
I love pumpkin blondies with cream cheese frosting 🙂
I love pumpkin pie!
Another pumpkin and apple lover – and cranberries……and turkey! Love the smell of a roasting turkey on a Sunday afternoon!!
My sweet favorite is Brigadeiro, one Brazilian sweet.
Kisses
Patty Martins
Brasil
I love to make homemade chai and spiced pound cake!
Pumpkin Pie, apple pie, pie, pie pie!
Apple-ginger-cranberry crisp. It's quite fabulous!
I love a good homemade pumpkin pie with sour cream mixed into the filling.
As soon as the leaves turn, I switch my baking immediately to my favorite fall treat- Apple Dumplings!
I love Pumpkin Bread! Helps that it has like 3 cups of sugar in it.
I love candied apples! I look forward to them every year.
My favorite treat is pumpkin cinnamon doughnuts with apple cider… from a pumkin/apple farm near my house… but pumpkin bread, apple pie, made by me are all perfect treats!
Pumpkin Scones were my favorite until I tried your Pumpkin Butterscotch cookies! Now I have a new favorite. Thanks for all the great recipes and beautiful blog.
Pumpkin Gooey bars from the precious Paula Deen!
I'd have to say one of my favorite fall treats is pumpkin whoopie pies, but I am anxious to try the danishes you shared above!
Congratulations to you! My favorite fall treat is pumpkin cheesecake.
Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, with a big cup of coffee.
i LOVE sweet potato pecan pie – like they used to make at Killer Shrimp in LA…
Congrats! I never win anything…this may be the time. I just love spanish peanuts mixed with candy corn!
This is a must make recipe for sure! Great pumpkin idea. Thanks!
My favorite fall treat is. . . just one? That's so difficult to narrow down too. But anything with pumpkin spice. Yum!
apple crisp … and VERY SOON these pumpkin danish! thanks for sharing – I will be making these! 😀
I love pumpkin spice coffee and muffins. yummy…
Pumpkin pie is my absolute favorite fall treat, but I also LOVE pumpkin bread =) Pretty much anything pumpkin is a winner in my book!