Some quick and easy lemon glazed cream cheese danish I made yesterday, with a touch of morello cherry jam on top.
As usual I used Jus Rol gluten free puff pastry for these. For some reason the texture ended up more like soft buns (with a crispy outer layer) than flaky puff pastries (this batch seemed oilier than normal and I added butter on top of it!), but they actually ended up being delicious in their own way despite that. And even if the butter possibly softened the texture, it added a nice touch since this pastry is also dairy free. I know it’s not at all what puff pastry is intended for, but what can I say, sometimes when you’re gluten free you just have to step out of the box a bit. 😉
However for a crispier flakier texture, you can also opt for the second and third methods I included in the directions.
- Gluten free puff pastry (I used JJus Rol)
- 1-2 Tbsp butter
- 1-2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 egg (to use as egg wash / to brush over the pastries)
- Cream cheese
- Sugar (to taste)
- Vanilla extract (to taste)
- Jam or fresh berries (I used morello cherry jam)
- 40g icing sugar
- 1 tsp melted butter
- a few tsp lemon juice
- Lemon zest (optional)
BAKING TIME: 15 to 20 minutes
Directions
STEP 1. PREPARE THE INGREDIENTS
1. Let your chilled puff pastry rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before getting started. This will prevent the pastry from cracking when unrolling it and also produces a better texture.
2. Meanwhile prepare the cream cheese filling, egg wash, melted butter and lemon glaze. For the lemon glaze, add the melted butter first and then the lemon juice slowly, half a teaspoon at a time, until you reach the right consistency (it should be runny and smooth, but not watery).
STEP 2. PREPARE THE PASTRIES
METHOD 1: MORE LIKE BUNS
1. Carefully unroll the puff pastry and cut into 4 long slices (↑ like in the pictures above ↑).
2. Brush a thin layer of melted butter all over one side and sprinkle a bit of sugar on top.
3. Carefully and loosely roll each strip (↑ as in the pictures above ↑) to create pastry tubes, gently pinching the folds closed.
4. Roll each pastry tube onto itself to create pastry swirls and press down gently so that everything sticks together.
METHOD 2: CRISPIER
1. Carefully unroll the puff pastry and cut into 8 long strips.
2. Create 4 long strips by pairing them 2 by 2; connect them by smudging them together with your fingers.
3. Gently twist each strip and roll onto itself to create a swirl and press down just a bit so that everything sticks together.
METHOD 3: ALSO CRISPIER
1. Cut the pastry into squares.
2. Fold the corners in loosely towards the middle.
Optional: you can brush some melted butter and add a sprinkle of sugar on each pastry square before folding.
STEP 4. ADD THE FILLING
1. Create a well in the center for the fillings by pressing down with your fingers and add a spoonful of sweetened cream cheese and a touch of jam (or fresh berries) on top.
STEP 5. BAKE YOUR CREAM CHEESE DANISH
1. Brush some beaten egg over the pastries and bake in a pre-heated oven (200C / 392F) for 15 to 20 minutes, until slightly golden.
2. Allow them to cool down and then drizzle some lemon glaze on top.
Enjoy! 🙂
Kimi. x
P.S.: for other gluten free pastry ideas, you can also check out my full list {here} of 30+ recipes from pain au chocolate, maple pecan plaits and mille-feuille to cream puffs and eclairs. 🙂
Can you buy these pastry sheets in the US?
Hey! I actually asked this question on Instagram recently and I was told that you do have a few brands that do gluten free puff pastry over there, but they can be hard to find depending on where you live in the US. The two most common brands seem to be Gee Free and Schar. A while back someone also told me about another brand that is even made with real butter, but unfortunately I can’t remember the name.
Hope this helps! 🙂