Cheese Danish Luxe

Ingredients:

8 ounces (1 block) Philadelphia cream cheese at room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

2 extra-large egg yolks at room temperature

2 tablespoons ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

2 sheets frozen puff pastry (there are two sheets per box)

1 extra large egg beaten, combined with 1 tablespoon water (egg wash used for sealing the pastry dough)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. Cream the sugar and cream cheese together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.

3. Add egg yolks, ricotta, vanilla, salt and lemon zest and mix until fully incorporated. Remove to a bowl, cover, and place in refrigerator.

4. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry onto lightly floured surface. Roll it until it is twelve inch square. Do the same with second sheet of pastry.

5. Using a round "cut-n-seal" pastry cutter, gently imprint eight round circles on first sheet of puff pastry. DO NOT cut all the way through the dough.

6. Remove cheese filling from the refrigerator and add one heaping tablespoon into the center of each of the round circles imprinted on the first sheet of puff pastry.

7. Using a pastry brush, apply the egg wash around the outside of each circle imprint on the dough.

7. Cover the bottom sheet of pastry with the cheese filling mounds with the second sheet of pastry dough. Make sure it fully covers the bottom layer of pastry dough.

8. Center the cut-n-seal pastry cutter over the center of each dollop of cheese filling and press firmly, sealing the dough around the filling and cutting the dough to form each danish. Press down firmly and lift the pastry cutter straight up when done. Do not turn or twist the pastry cutter when sealing the pastry dough.

9. Remove excess pastry dough from between individual pastries and discard.

10. Brush the top of the pastries with egg wash. Place pastries on the prepare sheet pan and refrigerate the filled danish for 15 minutes.

11. Bake the pastries for about 20 minutes, turning the pan 180 degrees once during baking, until puffed and brown.