Lemon Danish

## Book Reference

Caramel Pecan Roll Murder

LEMON DANISH DO NOT preheat your oven yet. You must do some preparation first.

**Hannah’s 1st Note**
*Frozen puff pastry dough is good for all sorts of things. When you buy it for this recipe, buy 2 packages. You’ll only use one package in this recipe, but keep that second package in your freezer for later. Thaw it when you want to dress up leftovers by putting them inside little puff pastry packets and baking them, or make some turnovers from fresh fruit. Puff pastry can also be used for appetizers.*

### Ingredients

**The Pastry:**

* One 17.5-ounce package frozen puff pastry dough (I used Pepperidge Farm, which contains 2 sheets of puff pastry)
* 1 large egg
* 1 Tablespoon water (right out of the tap is fine)
* White (granulated) sugar to sprinkle on top

**The Cream Cheese Filling:**

* 8-ounce package brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature (I used Philadelphia)
* 1/3 cup white (granulated) sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

**The Powdered Sugar Drizzle Frosting:**

* 1 & 1/4 cups powdered (confectioners) sugar (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/3 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup whipping cream (that’s heavy cream, not Half & Half)

**Hannah’s 2md Note** Note: *You will not be making the Drizzle Frosting yet. You will do this after your Lemon Danish are baked and cooling*.

### Directions

* Thaw 1 package of Puff Pastry (2 sheets) according to package directions. Do this on a lightly floured surface (I used a bread board). To prepare the surface, sprinkle on a little flour and spread it around with your impeccably clean palms.

**Cream Cheese Filling:**

* In a microwave-safe mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese with the sugar and the vanilla extract. Heat the mixture in the microwave for 30 seconds, then take it out, place on a folded towel, and give it a final stir until it is smooth and creamy. When it’s cool, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it on the counter.

**Assembly**

* Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F., rack in the middle position. While your oven is preheating,
* prepare 2 baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
* Check your puff pastry to see if it is thawed. If it is, it’s time to prepare it to receive its yummy contents.
* Unfold one sheet of puff pastry on your floured board. Sprinkle a little flour on a rolling pin and roll your puff pastry out to a twelve-inch square.

**Hannah’s 3rd Note:** *I use a ruler to make sure I have a 12-inch square when I’m through.*

* Use a sharp knife to make one horizontal line through the middle of the square and one vertical line through the middle of the square. This will divide it into 4 equal (or nearly equal) pieces.
* Break the egg into a cup.
* Add 1 Tablespoon of water and whisk it up. This will be your egg wash.
* Transfer one of your cut squares of puff pastry to your prepared cookie sheet.
* Use a pastry brush to brush the inside edges of the square with the egg wash. This will make the edges stick together when you fold the dough over the cream cheese and Lemon Curd.
* Measure out approximately ¼ cup of the cream cheese filling and place it in the center of the square. Spread the cream cheese over the square evenly to within ½ inch of the edges.
* Spread 2 Tablespoons of the Lemon Curd from the previous recipe over the cream cheese.
* Pick up one corner of the square and pull it over the filling to cover just a little over half of the filling. Then pick up the opposite corner and pull that over to overlap the first corner. Since the egg wash you used on the square of puff pastry dough acts as a glue, that second corner should stick to the first corner. If it doesn’t, simply use a little more of the egg wash to stick the two overlapping corners together.

**Hannah’s 4th Note:** *This sounds difficult, but it’s not. You’ll catch on fast once you complete the first one. It takes much longer to explain than it does to actually do it.*

* When you’ve completed the first 4 squares, repeat this procedure for the second sheet of puff pastry.
* Once you have all 8 Lemon Danish on the cookie sheets, brush the top of the pastry with more egg wash and sprinkle on a little granulated sugar.
* You won’t drizzle your Danish with the Powdered Sugar Drizzle Frosting until AFTER you bake them.
* Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F., rack in the middle position. When your oven comes up to temperature, bake your Lemon Danish for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they’re golden brown on top.
* Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and place them on a cold stovetop burner or a wire rack and let the pastries cool for 10 minutes.
* While your Lemon Danish are cooling, make the Powdered Sugar Drizzle Frosting.

**Powdered Sugar Drizzle Frosting**

* Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl and mix it with the vanilla extract and salt.
* Add in the whipping cream slowly, while stirring, until the frosting is the proper consistency to drizzle on top of your Lemon Danish. \* Use your favorite method to drizzle frosting over the tops of your Lemon Danish. A pastry bag (or a plastic bag with one of the corners snipped off) works well for this.

**Hannah’s 5th Note:** *If you don’t want to use a pastry bag to do this, simply mix in a little more cream so that the frosting will drizzle off the tip of a spoon held over the pastries.*

* When all the Lemon Danish have been decorated with the frosting, pull the parchment paper and the Lemon Danish off the cookie sheets and place them onto a wire rack. These pastries are delicious eaten while slightly warm. They’re also good cold. If any of your Lemon Danish are left over (I don’t think this will happen!), wrap them loosely in wax paper and keep them in a cool place.

**Hannah’s 6th Note**
*The Lemon Curd recipe I gave you will make more than you need for your Lemon Danish. Store the leftover Lemon Curd in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator and use it to make Miniature Lemon Cheesecakes. The recipe is on the next page.*

## Conversion Charts

See Baking Conversion Chart for non-USA baking conversions.