Cheese Danish(Spandauer)
Submitted by SandyP
Traditional Danish spandauer pastries with a smooth pot cheese filling, cherry preserves, and a glossy corn syrup glaze. Authentic Scandinavian baking at home.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
50 minREADY
80 minThe spandauer is Denmark’s answer to the cheese Danish, and this is the from-scratch version. Squares of laminated pastry dough get folded around a smooth, lemony pot cheese filling, crowned with cherry preserves, and finished with a glistening corn syrup glaze.
The filling is blended until silky, with just egg yolk, sugar, and lemon zest to brighten the mild cheese. Each pastry puffs up during its rise, then bakes into flaky, golden layers.
This is weekend baking at its most rewarding. It takes some time and patience, but the result is genuine Danish pastry shop quality.
Chef Tips
- Drain the pot cheese or cottage cheese well before blending. Excess liquid makes the filling runny and it’ll leak out during baking.
- Press the folded corners down firmly before and after rising. They tend to spring open and the filling escapes if they’re not sealed.
- Start in a hot oven, then immediately lower the temperature. That initial blast of heat is what creates the dramatic puff in the pastry layers.
- Brush on the corn syrup glaze in the final 5 minutes for that glossy, professional bakery sheen.
Variations
- Swap cherry preserves for apricot preserves or apple pie filling.
- Use ricotta blended smooth if you can’t find pot cheese.
- Drizzle with a simple powdered sugar icing once cooled for extra sweetness.
Ingredients
Directions
Cheese filling: Combine pot cheese, egg yolk, sugar, and lemon rind in electric blender, whirl until smooth.
Drain cottage cheese for a drier texture.
Roll pastry on floured surface to 2 20 inch x 15 inch rectangles.
Trim edges evenly.
With a sharp knife cut into 12½ inch squares.
Spoon cheese filling onto center of each square, dividing evenly.
Fold in all four corners to meet and overlap slightly in the center and to enclose the cheese filling completely; press points down with finger tip.
Place 2 inches apart on cooky sheet; let rise until double in bulk, about 30 minutes.
Press down points again and fill centers with a teaspoon of cherry preserves.
Brush pastries with egg. Place in hot oven (400?f); lower heat immediately to 350?f, bake 20 minutes.
Warm corn syrup slightly in a small saucepan; brush over pastries; bake 5 minutes longer.
Remove to wire rack and cool.
Canned cherry or apple pie filling or apricot preserves may be substituted for the cherry preserves.
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