The Kitchn: How to make a cheese danish for a crowd
There are a few foods that are tightly woven into my happiest memories, and cheese danish is one of them. I grew up eating two kinds of cheese danish, and I loved them both. One was bakery danish, individual treats that were bigger than my whole hand, with a tender yet flaky pastry crust.
The second kind of cheese danish -- Entenmann's cheese danish -- I met a wee bit later. Long and rectangular, this danish was basically a slab pie filled with the most satisfying cream cheese goodness. Like a combo of a cannoli and a New York cheesecake, that filling was a creamy delight. That danish was a mainstay for me, right from the store or a bakery, all through my college, law school, and working lawyer years. That's what this danish is all about.
A delicious dough and a tasty filling
There were two components that made that danish so memorable: the filling and the dough. I learned something over many years of making danishes, with various doughs and fillings. The danish is only as good as the dough. It doesn't have to be fancy bakery-laminated danish dough, but it does have to be light, sweet and even a little fluffy. And you can absolutely make it at home, even if you are new to baking.
A forgiving, easy-to-make dough
After I went to culinary school, I began making danish from scratch, often when having a brunch for my family. But making laminated danish dough is a time-consuming task, and I had kids and jobs and no time. I remember the day that changed.
After some tinkering, I ended up with dough that was soft and easy to handle, tender and able to withstand many hands and variable temperatures -- none of that fussy laminating needed.
Again, when it comes down to it, danish is only as good as the dough; the filling plays the supporting role. Even if you've never made a sweetened yeasted pastry before, give this one a shot. It's first-timer friendly.
How to make danish filling
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