Cream Cheese Danish Pastry, a delicious pastry made with cream cheese and puff pastry. It's one of my favorite pastries to make at home with store bought puff pastry. 

It's such an easy recipe to make for tea-time get together or on weekend evenings to enjoy with friends / family. 

Here in this recipe, i have used strawberry jam for the filling along with cream cheese. But you can use any of your favorite jams in this recipe. My other favorites jams to use in this recipe are raspberry jam / blueberry jam.

Tips to make perfect cream cheese pastry 

• Make sure to take out the puff pastry from the freezer a couple of hours before.
• Make sure to use the room temperature jam and cream cheese.
• Lemon zests add an amazing flavor and it also helps to balance out all the sweetness.
• Though i skipped the egg wash in this recipe, you can do it for even more coloring on the top. 

Like any pastries, this too becomes soggy as it cools down so i highly recommend to serve this fresh out of the oven. However, you can store the remaining in the refrigerator for a couple of days. 

Don't microwave the leftover pastries, it softens the pastry further. Leave it on the counter top for 30 mins or more and serve it as it is ! 

Now let's check out how to make this delicious Danish cream cheese pastry.

Danish Cream Cheese Pastry | Eggless Cheese Danish

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Serves : 2 
Recipe Category: Pastry | Recipe Cuisine: Danish
Danish Cream Cheese Pastry, Eggless Cheese Danish, Eggless Pastries Cream Cheese Danish Pastry, a delicious pastry made with cream cheese and puff pastry.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Puff Pastry -1

Cream Cheese - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 2 to 3 tbsp

Lemon zest - 2 tsp

Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

Strawberry jam - 1/4 cup

Butter - 1 tbsp

Procedure

Take the puff pastry out of the refrigerator and let it thaw. In a bowl, add the cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Give it a good mix until it all comes together.

Next take the puff pastry and roll into a thin sheets and make a angled slit on the sides as shown in the below pics.

In the center of the puff pastry, add the cream cheese and spread it evenly and then add the jam and spread it well.

Then cover the cream cheese and jam filling with the puff pastry from the sides overlapping one another like shown in pics below. 

Preheat the oven @375 F. Transfer the puff pastry into a parchment line baking tray and brush the top with some butter. Bake it in the oven for 20 mins or until the top becomes golden brown.

Delicious Cheese Danish is ready. Let it cool a bit and then cut into desired shapes and serve.

Related:How to make Egg Puffs

Notes:

• Depends on how sweet you want, you can add more or less sugar.

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Coconut Pastry, a delicious snack made with puff pastry and sweetened coconut filling. Whenever i crave for the Indian famous Dilpasand / Thengai Bun, this is my short cut to satisfy my craving. 

This coconut filling recipe is the same as the Dilpasand / Thengai Bun, but instead of making dough for the bun, i have used the puff pastry for the outer layer. It tastes so delicious and you can't stop by one.

Coconut filling 

In today's recipe, i have used fresh coconut because i knew that it would be gone in minutes and there would be no leftovers so i didn't worry about it going bad.

But you can very well use coconut flakes or desiccated coconut (see my coconut bun post where i used coconut flakes for the stuffing ). Make sure to adjust the sugar depends on  whether you're using sweetened or unsweetened coconut. 

Puff Pastry 

I have been using the "Tenderflake" puff pastry(not sponsored/ad) ever since we moved to Canada and so far it's good for making the savoury and sweet as well.  

When this coconut pastry is right out of the oven, it's crispy(i know which is totally contrary to the coconut bun) but still it tastes amazing.  But if you really want the soft outer layer like a coconut bun, just leave it for a couple of hours or overnight so that the outer layer of the pastry becomes soft. 

Shaping the Coconut Pastry

In today's recipe, i have just folded it in half (you can see it in the step by step pictures) and cut it into squares. But you can make it as bite sized pastry like how i did in this mini apple turnovers. So it all depends on how you want or what occasion you're making. 

I personally make bite sized pastries for a get-together or someone visiting our home or when i'm making more that last for a couple of days.

Ok, now let's check out on how to make this delicious coconut pastry. 

Sweet Coconut Pastries | Coconut Pastry

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 30 mins | Serves : 4 
Recipe Category: Dessert/Sweet | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Coconut Bun, Thengai Bun, Coconut Pastries, Coconut Pastry Coconut Pastry, a delicious snack made with puff pastry and sweetened coconut filling.It tastes like coconut bun/Thengai bun.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Puff Pastry - 1 sheet

For Stuffing

Grated Coconut - 3/4 cup
Tutti frutti - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Cashews - 5
Raisins - 2 tsp
Ghee - 1 tsp
Water - 2 tbsp
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Procedure

First heat the pan with ghee, add the cashew and raisins, roast till the raisins are puffed up. 

Then add the sugar, coconut, and water. Mix it all together and cook till the sugar is completely melted.

Next add the tutti frutti and cardamom powder. Mix it all well and let it in the flame for 2-3 mins. Switch off the flame and let it cool completely.

Preheat the oven @ 420 F

Take a one sheet of puff pastry and roll into thin sheet with a rolling pin.

Then add the coconut stuffing on one side and close the puff pastry from the other side such that the coconut stuffing is sealed well. 

Next, take a fork and press it on the outer edges of the pastry(it helps to seal the edges well and also make a nice design on the border.) Then transfer the pastry sheet into a parchment lined baking sheet and cut the pastry into squares as shown below.

Brush the top of the pastry with some milk and put it in the oven and bake it for 15- 20 mins or until the top turns golden brown.

That's it, Delicious Coconut Pastry is ready to serve.

Related : How to make Bakery Style Vegetable Puffs 

Notes:

• Depends on the sweetness of the coconut add more or less of sugar.
• Adding tutti frutti truly enhances the taste of the pastry. You can use store bought or home made tutti frutti

 

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Chocolate Croissants using Puff Pastry | Chocolate Croissants

Chocolate Croissants, a delicious pastry filled with chocolate. Croissants are a style of viennoiserie pastries which uses yeast as a leavening agent and these kinds of pastries are mostly served as breakfast or as snacks. 

Traditional Croissants take hours to make and it's really a labour of love kind of pastries. If you have followed my blog for a while, you would already knew how much i like to bake with puff pastry . So today, in this recipe, i'm using store bought puff pastry to make these delicious chocolate croissants.

I'm not gonna lie that it tastes just like traditional croissants, but it tastes awesome in its own way and it's really tasty, flaky, light  & would be ready in 30 mins ! What else you need for  sudden cravings, right?

Before moving on to the recipe, let's check out some FAQs.

Which brand of puff pasty am i using in this recipe?

I have used "Tender Flake" brand puff pastry for this recipe and also i tried this recipe with "Pepperridge farm" brand puff pastry in the past and both work really well. 

Also, you can use the homemade puff pastry too ! 

Can i make these croissants without using egg/egg wash?

Yes, you can make them. Instead of egg, you can add a tsp of sugar in the milk and apply it on the top of puff sheets.

Egg wash is only for the color on the outside, you can totally omit it if you don't want.

What type of chocolate tastes best with these Croissants?

Use your favorite chocolate anything like milk chocolate , semi sweet or dark chocolate. But make sure to not overfill the pastries. Otherwise it spews out of the pastries while baking.

How can i store the leftover croissants?

You can store the leftover croissants in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator for 2-3 days and for more days freeze it. 

Just before serving, just microwave it for 10 secs, it will be ready !

Now let's check out how to make these delicious Chocolate Croissants.

Chocolate Croissants using Puff Pastry

Preparation Time : 20 mins | Cooking Time : 25 mins | Serves : 8 
Recipe Category: Breakfast | Recipe Cuisine: Austrian
Chocolate Croissants using Puff Pastry, Chocolate Croissants Chocolate Croissants, a delicious pastry filled with chocolate.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Puff Pastry - 1 sheet

Milk Chocolate /Dark Chocolate / Semi Dark Chocolate - 1 bar or as you needed

*Egg yolk -1 (optional)

Milk - 1 tbsp

* See FAQs at the top of the post for eggless version.

Procedure

Preheat the oven at 400F.

Take a puff pastry(make sure that it's in room temperature) , sprinkle some dry all purpose flour/maida  on the top and roll into rectangle as shown in the pic below.

Next cut the rolled sheets horizontally into four rectangles using pizza cutter or knife and then cut each rectangle diagonally into two. In the end, you will get 8 triangle pieces.

Then cut the chocolate into little chunks and place the needed chocolate(don't add more chocolate, it will come out of the croissants while baking) on the larger side of the triangle and start rolling tightly till the end.

Do the same for all the puff pastry pieces. 

Then arrange it on the foil lined/ parchment lined baking sheet and place the croissant on it. Make sure to have enough space in between them since it will expand while baking. Next crack open the egg and place the yolk alone in a bowl, add the milk and beat it smoothly with a fork.

Apply egg wash on the croissants and place the tray on the oven. Bake it for 20-25 mins. 

Tada, Yummy Chocolate Croissants is ready ! 

Related: How to make Apple Turnovers using Puff Pastry

Notes:

• Make sure to cool it completely before store it. 
• Taste best when it's out of oven.

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Mini Apple Turnovers with Puff Pastry | Bite Size Pastries

Apple Turnovers, a flaky and crispy puff pastry filled with delicious cinnamon flavored apple mixture inside. This bite size apple pastries are easy to make, delicious and super addictive ! Making apple turnovers from the scratch takes a lot of time and maneuver so let's take the short cuts and make it with puff pastry. 

Why is it called Turnovers ? 

Since I grew up without eating these kind of western pastries, my first thought was why is it called turnover when i first heard the word "turnover" . With my online research I found that turnovers are nothing but individual pies and it's made by folding the sheets with stuffing inside unlike the classic pie hence it's called as turnovers to differentiate from the regular pies.

Mini or Regular turnovers 

I personally like the mini turnovers more than the regular turnovers therefore here i have made these apple turnovers as mini bite sized pieces. But you can follow the same recipe and make the regular size turnovers.

Related : How to make French Palmiers with Puff pastry 

Puff Pastry 

In this recipe, i have used the "Tender flake " brand puff pastry. I have tried a few other brands of puff pastry also, it all works fine for me. Make sure to use the room temperature puff pastry. It would be easy to roll and shape. Before using the puff pastry, keep it out of the freezer for a couple of hours or keep it in refrigerator overnight 

Apples 

You can make these puff pastries with pretty much any of your favorite apples. I have made them with gala, honey crisp, granny smith and red delicious. Here in today's recipe, i have used gala apples. Some apples are more sweet than others so depends on the apple sweetness, you may need a little less or more of sugar .So always start off with 3 tbsp of sugar for an apple and increase if you need more. Also, some apples are more juicer than others, so make sure to cook them till it's thick like jam consistency .

 

Jams

Can i use jam instead of making my own filling ?

Yes, of course ! It will make the process a lot easier and you can use any of your favorite jams in this recipe. 

How to Store the leftover

It stays well for 3-5 days at room temperature. After a day, it loses its crispiness but still tastes good. I personally recommend to bake the needed amount only, remaining you can store it in the freezer with the filling inside and bake it whenever needed. 

Egg Wash or Milk Wash 

You can do either egg wash or milk wash for this recipe. Egg wash gives more color to the pastries whereas milk wash doesn't. Since I want to make these turnovers as totally eggless, i'm sticking to the milk wash here.  

How to avoid the filling leakage from the pastries

First, don't overfill the pastries. Here less is more, so just a tsp of filling is enough. Second, make sure to silt the puff pastries on the top. It helps the pastries to puff up evenly and avoid the bubbles in the pastries. 

Related : How to make Indian Bakery style Vegetable Puffs 

Mini Apple Turnovers with Puff Pastry

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 30 mins | Serves : 16 
Recipe Category: Pastries | Recipe Cuisine: International
Mini Apple Turnovers, Apple Turnover, Mini Apple Turnover,Apple pastries Apple Turnovers, a flaky and crispy puff pastry filled with delicious cinnamon flavored apple mixture inside.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Puff Pastry - 1 

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Milk - 1/2 tbsp

For Stuffing 

Apple - 1 cup (peeled & chopped)

Sugar - 1/4 cup

Cinnamon powder - 3/4 tsp

Butter - 1/2 tbsp

Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Procedure

First, let's prepare the filling. Heat the butter in a pan and then add the peeled and roughly chopped apples., saute it in the butter well. 

Cover the pan with lid and cook till the apples start to brown. Then add the sugar and cinnamon powder .

Mix it well, again cover cook till the sugar melts and the apples became soft. Mash it with the ladle gently and once it turns into thick jam like consistency, remove from the flame and transfer into a bowl. 

Let it cool completely. Preheat the oven at 400 F. In the mean time, take the room temperature puff pastry, dust it with flour and roll into rectangular sheets with dimensions of 12*8 inches(approximately). 

Cut into 16 rectangular squares and place a tsp of apple mix in one corner of the cut out rectangle sheets.

Take one end of the sheet and cover the stuffing with it  and then fold the sheet one more time. Refer below pic for better understanding.

Arrange it in the parchment lined baking tray and make a few slits on the top with sharp knife. Then brush the top with milk and sprinkle some sugar. Place it in the oven and bake it at 400 F fro 18-20 mins.

Tasty Mini Apple Turnovers are ready ! 

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Notes:

• If the apple is too sweet, add a tsp of lemon juice to balance the sweetness
• Instead of white sugar, you can use brown sugar also.
• Make sure the puff pastry is at room temperature before using.

Related : How to make Indian Bakery Style Egg Puffs 

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