This apple danish skips the yeast dough and instead uses ready-to-bake puff pastry from the freezer.
Apple Danish
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 to 4 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
1 egg, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon (if using), egg yolk, vanilla and lemon zest until smooth.
Arrange pastry on the parchment-lined baking sheet so the seams/fold lines are running vertically. Cut ¾-inch wide strips from the edge of the pastry to the seam/fold line down both sides of the pastry.
Spread the cream cheese mixture in the center (uncut) portion of the pastry.