Chocolate Cream Cheese Danish (Print Version)

Puff pastry treats layered with sweet cream cheese and finished with rich chocolate ganache.

# Ingredients:

→ Pastry

01 - 2 frozen puff pastry sheets
02 - 1 large egg
03 - 1 tsp water

→ Cream Cheese Filling

04 - 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
05 - 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
06 - 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

→ Chocolate Ganache

07 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
08 - 3/4 cup heavy cream

# Steps:

01 - Place frozen puff pastry on the counter for 30 minutes to thaw.
02 - Pour chocolate chips into a bowl. Heat heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming. Pour hot cream over chocolate chips. Let sit for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. If necessary, microwave in 15-second intervals to melt remaining chunks. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours until pudding-like in texture.
03 - In a small bowl, beat cream cheese with a hand mixer on high speed for 1 minute. Add sugar and beat again for another minute. Mix in vanilla extract.
04 - Place thawed pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface. Push seams together with your fingers. Cut each sheet into thirds along seams, then cut each third in half to create 6 rectangles per sheet. Mix egg and water in a small bowl, then brush around the edge of each rectangle.
05 - Using a sharp knife, gently score an inner rectangle within each rectangle of pastry, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Do not cut all the way through to allow the edges to rise.
06 - Spoon 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling into the center of each rectangle. Spread evenly within the scored edges. Place one sheet of pastries in the fridge and the other in the freezer for 5 minutes to re-chill the butter.
07 - Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange 6 pastries per sheet. Bake one sheet at a time for 17-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let pastries cool completely before baking the second sheet.
08 - Spoon prepared ganache over the cream cheese filling of each cooled pastry, ensuring some cream cheese remains visible at the edges.

# Helpful Notes:

01 - Chilling the pastry before baking ensures the butter stays cold, resulting in flakier layers.

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