Starbucks Cheese Danishes: What's Inside?

Starbucks' cheese danish is a popular breakfast pastry that is often paired with coffee or tea. The cheese in a Starbucks cheese danish is Neufchatel, a soft cheese that can be used interchangeably with cream cheese but is lower in fat. The cheese is blended with sugar and egg to make the filling, resulting in a sweet and tangy cream cheese danish with a hint of lemon.

Starbucks cheese danishes are made with puff pastry

The Starbucks cheese danish is made with a few simple ingredients. The puff pastry is layered with an egg wash and filled with a creamy, sweet, and tangy cheese filling. The cheese used in the filling is cream cheese, which is not the traditional cheese Starbucks uses in their danishes, but it works just as well to give that delicious cheesy taste. The cream cheese is mixed with sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. The lemon zest adds a light taste of lemon to the creamy sweet cheese.

To make the Starbucks cheese danish, you will need to prepare the cheese filling before working with the puff pastry. The puff pastry should be as cold as possible before going into the oven but still soft enough to handle. If you are using frozen puff pastry, it will need to be thawed according to the package directions. This can take around 20-30 minutes. If using refrigerated puff pastry, it does not need to sit out for long.

Once the filling is prepared and the puff pastry is ready, you will need to unroll the pastry and use a rolling pin to gently roll it out to a rectangle of approximately 9x13 inches. Then, cut the pastry into rectangles or squares, depending on the shape of your puff pastry. You can pipe the cheese filling onto the pastry or spread it on with a knife, leaving a border around the edges. After that, brush the edges of the puff pastry with the egg wash and bake in the oven until crisp and golden brown.

The Starbucks cheese danish is a popular treat, and it is easy to make at home. By making it yourself, you can save money and enjoy these delicious pastries anytime you want.

They contain a cream cheese filling

Starbucks cheese danishes contain a cream cheese filling. This is made by blending cream cheese with sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. The filling is then piped into the centre of the pastry.

Cream cheese is not the traditional cheese used in Starbucks cheese danishes, but it works just as well to give that delicious cheesy taste. The cheese Starbucks uses is Neufchâtel, a soft cheese that can be used interchangeably with cream cheese but is lower in fat.

The cream cheese filling is sweet and tangy, and the pastry is best served warm, so the cheese is gooey. The cheese danish is best paired with a hot drink, like coffee or tea, and can be enjoyed any time of the day.

You can make your cheese danish even more delicious by adding a dollop of homemade jam to the cheese filling before baking, or blending in some orange or lemon zest, cinnamon, or mini chocolate chips.

The cream cheese is mixed with vanilla, sugar, and egg

The cream cheese filling in a Starbucks cheese danish is mixed with vanilla, sugar, and egg to create a sweet and tangy flavour. The vanilla and sugar add a rich sweetness to the cream cheese, while the egg binds the mixture together and adds a little extra protein. This filling is then piped into the centre of the pastry before baking.

The cream cheese mixture is made by combining the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and egg in a medium bowl. It is important to ensure that these ingredients are mixed until smooth and creamy, with no lumps remaining. This can be done by hand or using a hand mixer or stand mixer for a quicker and more efficient process.

The cream cheese should be softened at room temperature before mixing to ensure it blends easily with the other ingredients. The sugar can be granulated or another preferred alternative, although this may alter the flavour slightly. The vanilla extract adds a sweet and rich flavour to the filling, while the egg provides structure and helps to bind the ingredients together.

Once the cream cheese mixture is smooth, it is then piped into the centre of the puff pastry rectangles. The egg is also used to create an egg wash, which is brushed onto the puff pastry to create a golden brown colour when baked.

The cream cheese, vanilla, sugar, and egg filling is a key component of the Starbucks cheese danish, providing a sweet and tangy flavour that pairs perfectly with the flaky puff pastry. The ratios of these ingredients can be adjusted to taste, with more sugar added for a sweeter filling or a little extra vanilla for a richer flavour.

Starbucks uses Neufchâtel cheese, which is lower in fat

Starbucks uses Neufchâtel cheese in its cheese danishes. Neufchâtel is a soft cheese that can be used interchangeably with cream cheese but contains less fat. It is blended with sugar and egg to make the filling.

Neufchâtel cheese is a suitable substitute for cream cheese in danishes as it has a similar flavour but is lower in fat. This makes it a healthier option without compromising on taste. Starbucks' cheese danishes are already shipped frozen to cafes and then microwaved, so using Neufchâtel cheese instead of cream cheese is a healthier alternative for customers who are conscious of their fat intake.

Neufchâtel cheese is also a good option for those who want to make their own cheese danishes at home, as it is easily available in the dairy case alongside cream cheese at grocery stores. This means that customers can make their own danishes with the same type of cheese that Starbucks uses, without having to search for a specialty product.

In addition to being lower in fat, Neufchâtel cheese also has a slightly different flavour than cream cheese, which some may prefer. It has a tangy, sweet, and creamy taste that pairs well with the lemon and vanilla flavours in the Starbucks cheese danish.

Overall, Starbucks' decision to use Neufchâtel cheese in their cheese danishes is a thoughtful choice that caters to health-conscious customers and those who prefer a slightly different flavour profile. It also demonstrates Starbucks' commitment to providing high-quality, tasty treats that are accessible to everyone.

You can make your own at home

You can make your own Starbucks Cheese Danish at home

The cheese in a Starbucks Danish is Neufchatel, a soft cheese that can be used interchangeably with cream cheese but is lower in fat. It's blended with sugar and egg to make the filling.

You can make your own Starbucks Cheese Danish at home by following these steps:

Ingredients:

• Puff pastry dough
• Cream cheese
• Vanilla extract
• Granulated sugar
• Lemon zest
• Salt
• Egg
• Water

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Make the cheese filling by blending the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and salt in a bowl until smooth.
• Roll out the puff pastry sheets and cut them into rectangles. You will need 9 rectangles for the base and 9 for the top.
• Cut a small rectangular hole in the centre of each of the top rectangles. This is where the filling will show through.
• Assemble the Danish by placing the cheese filling in the centre of each of the base rectangles.
• Create an egg wash by whisking together the egg and water. Brush the edges of the pastry dough with the egg wash.
• Top each pastry rectangle with one of the remaining dough rectangles, so that the cheese filling shows in the cutout. Lightly press the dough edges together.
• Brush more egg wash over the dough on each Danish.
• Bake the Danish for 15-17 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and browned.
• Transfer the Danish to a cooling rack and serve warm.

You can also add your own twist to the recipe by adding orange or lemon zest, cinnamon, or mini chocolate chips to the cream cheese mixture, or adding a dollop of homemade jam to the cheese filling before baking.

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