I am not a huge sweets person but if I do happen to find myself at a coffee shop or bakery and craving a treat I find myself interested in something that still contains cheese (big surprise)….a cheese danish. A few falls ago I was thrilled when Starbucks released the pumpkin cheese danishes. It is everything I look for in a fall flavored sweet treat. AND they warm it for you! Yum.
This adventure really begins last fall when there were no Starbucks nearby my day-to-day travels, and I was really craving this treat, so I made them myself and used puff pastry to really make it quick and easy without sacrificing any flavor or flakiness. So a this week, I noticed had some pumpkin puree left in the fridge from another project (Pumpkin Maple Truffles) and I hate to waste pumpkin so I had to make these again. And wanted to share them with you because these are the perfect way to delight in pumpkin and cheese together in a mini danish that is just sweet enough.
Just spoon the filling in the middle of each square and then fold up the corners as shown below:
Then bake for 12-15 mins and watch the magic begin
I also believe that pumpkin and chocolate are a match made in heaven. Like peanut butter and jelly. Or macaroni and cheese. Or me and cheese. That is why you see a lot of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin chocolate chip loaf around this time of year. And you make them and they are delicious so…I replaced the typical danish glaze with a chocolate glaze! You are going to love this swap because this is the perfect glaze to take these from great to OMG amazing.
What is the best way for you to savor these bite-sized treats? Might I suggest you grab a pumpkin spice latte, light some fall scented candles, and slightly warm these before eating (just the way Starbucks would) because you deserve to have a slice of autumn in the palm of your hand.
If you make this, please tweet me (@chicknhercheese) your thoughts or photos!
And enjoy the fall weather and pumpkin spice lattes.
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1.5 T of sugar
- 1 t flour
- ¼ t pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ C pumpkin puree
- ½ t vanilla
- 1 sheet of puff pasty, thawed according to the package directions
- ¼ C of powdered sugar
- 1 T cocoa powder
- ⅛ t vanilla
- splash of milk
- Beat cream cheese in a mixer and then add the sugar, flour, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin. Beat until combined on medium.
- Using a spatula scrape the bottom and sides and stir in the ½ t of vanilla
- Lay the sheet of puff pastry out flat and press seams together. Cut the pastry into 16 squares (in half and then in half again both horizontally and vertically)
- Place about a teaspoon on the filling on each square until the filling is all used up, then fold up all four corners and place on a cookie sheet
- Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, once done transfer to a cooling rack
- Mix the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, ⅛ t of vanilla and just enough milk in a bowl to make the sugar dissolve but not be too loose so add it slowly, then drizzle over the danishes
You had me at pumpkin cream cheese. Seriously, cheese makes the life go round, well at least in OUR world right? Thank you so much for sharing this on Welcome Home Wednesday! I am pinning for later!
Lyn, I’m glad you like them and I totally agree! Cheese makes our world go round.