Best Danish Cheese Pockets Recipes

DANISH CHEESE POCKETS

Steps:

• Combine cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla.
• Beat together with a small spatula.
• Place dough on a floured surface and lightly sprinkle flour over it.
• Using a rolling pin, press the dough in firm, parallel strokes to soften it.
• Flour the surface and the dough again if necessary.
• Roll dough out to a 12" x 17" rectangle.
• Slide dough onto a cookie sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Cut a 1-inch wide strip of dough from one of the narrow sides, and set it aside.
• Cut remaining dough into 12 4-inch squares.
• Leave squares in place and drop a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center of each square.
• Fold the four corners of each square in to meet in the center over the filling, overlapping only about 1/4 inch.
• Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil.
• Cut reserved pastry into 12 1-inch squares.
• Beat the egg and salt together and brush a little in the center of each pastry.
• Top with a square of the reserved dough.
• Cover and let rise until just starting to puff, about 20-30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Brush pastry all over with egg wash.
• Sprinkle with almonds.
• Bake until pastry is deep golden and filling is set, about 20 minutes.
• Cool on rack.
• Combine icing ingredients in a small saucepan and stir to mix.
• Cook over low heat until just lukewarm.
• Drizzle icing over pastry and let set.

DANISH ORANGE MARMALADE CHEESE POCKETS

Steps:

• Make the pastry dough: Whisk yeast into warm water. Wait 1-2 minutes, then whisk again. Whisk in milk.
• Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse to mix.
• Cut 4 tablespoons butter into thin slices and add to processor. Pulse to a fine texture -- not too much where it becomes pasty.
• Cut remaining butter into 1/2 inch cubes and add to processor. Pule twice, 1-2 seconds each time. Remove dough and place in mixing bowl.
• Whisk eggs into yeast mixture and add to dough. Using a rubber spatula, hold blade horizontally. Press/dig spatula down into dough, repeating until dough comes together, turning the bowl while you work. The dough will be soft and sticky.
• Leave dough in bowl, covering dough surface tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1-2 hours.
• Place the chilled dough on a floured surface and sprinkle flour on top. Press dough into a rectangle (twice as long as it is wide).
• Starting at narrow edge farthest away from you, firmly press with a rolling pin in short parallel strokes. Seal any sticky areas with a bit of flour, and don't allow dough pieces to stick to rolling pin. Repeat, then press once across width of dough. You should have a 1/2 inch thick rectangle.
• Sprinkle flour above and below dough.
• Rolling Directions: Create a rectangle 18 x 8: Starting on the edge nearest you, roll once away from you in length and once in width. Do NOT roll over the end/edge of the dough.
• Folding Directions: Fold the two narrow ends in toward the middle, leaving a 1 inch gap in the center. Fold the top to bottom to form 4 layers. Turn dough so folded edge is on the left.
• Repeat rolling and folding directions. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours, but no more than 12 hours.
• Filling: Add filling ingredients (except marmalade and chocolate chips) to a medium-size bowl. Beat together with a spatula (I use my KitchenAid mixer).
• Place HALF of the chilled dough on floured surface and sprinkle with flour.
• Using a rolling pin, press the dough in firm, parallel strokes to soften it. Flour surface and dough again if needed. Roll dough out into a 12 x 16 inch rectangle.
• Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Slide dough onto first cookie sheet and refrigerate 10 minutes (until firm).
• Repeat the above process with the second half of the pastry dough and place on second cookie sheet and chill 10 minutes until firm.
• Remove dough from refrigerator, leave dough in place on parchment paper. Cut each sheet of dough into 12 4-inch squares, keeping them in place on the parchment paper.
• Drop a heaping teaspoon of filling onto the center of each square. Top with a heaping teaspoon of marmalade or chocolate chips.
• Fold the dough corners into the middle, overlapping the filling by about 1/4 inch. Cover and let rise 20-30 minutes until they begin to puff. I did not notice much puffing.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Prepare the egg wash and brush to top of each pastry. Sprinkle with almonds or additional chocolate chips.
• Bake 15-20 minutes or until pastry is golden and filling is set. My pastries were done at 15 minutes, so start checking after 10 minutes.
• Cool on wire rack.
• Combine icing ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over very low heat until lukewarm. Drizzle icing over slightly cooled pastry and allow to set.