I don’t know what it is about me but anytime I see rhubarb at the grocery store, I panic and buy some. It doesn’t matter if I need it or not, and 9 times out of 10 I really don’t even need it. I think it’s because it has such a short season and so I feel like I just need to get it before it’s gone forever. Does anyone ever go through this as well or is it just me? This just happened to me recently and so I needed to figure out what to do with it. I could’ve made my strawberry rhubarb streusel shortcake but I wanted to make something new to share on the site. This Strawberry Rhubarb Cheese Danish is a riff off of one of my all-time favorite recipes, this peaches and cream cheese danish from the archives. It uses store-bought puff pastry, which makes this a quick and easy dessert, breakfast or brunch sweet treat.
In a large bowl, toss together the sliced strawberries, rhubarb, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon with a pinch of salt. Set aside.
**Note: You can keep this as all strawberries or all rhubarb if you prefer. Just double the amount of whichever you choose. I know sometimes, it could be hard to find rhubarb so just keep that in mind!**
Meanwhile, make the topping. In a small bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter and work it in with your fingers until coarse and resembles chunky sand.
In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, 1 egg, vanilla, lemon juice and cinnamon until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large piping bag, fitted with a large plain circle tip; set aside.
Unwrap both sheets of puff pastry, roll it out slightly and then cut each sheet into six even rectangles so you end up with twelve pieces in total. Using a sharp pairing knife lightly score an outline on each piece of pastry along the edge to create a border. Use a fork to poke holes throughout the center of each.
**Tip: Do not cut all the way down through the pastry, just slightly. To ensure that the puff pastry really rises nicely, place the sheets in the freezer for about 10 minutes to rechill. Cold puff pastry equals flakier layers.**
Whisk the remaining egg with a splash of water and brush the pastry sheets liberally with the egg wash. Pipe out about 2 tablespoons of filling onto the center of each. Then top with the strawberries and rhubarb.
Sprinkle liberally with the crumb topping (even if you think it’s a lot, just pile it on, trust me) and bake until puffed up and deep golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes in a preheated 425°F oven.
Remove from the oven and let cool before serving. Sprinkle the danish with powdered sugar. It’s optional, not necessary but honestly it’s a nice finishing touch. Enjoy right away or store in an airtight container in the fridge. Just rewarm before serving.
If you find some fresh rhubarb at the store, grab it and save it for this recipe in mind because I guarantee you’ll love it! Let me know what you think below and as always, thank you so much for reading and following along!
Strawberry Rhubarb Cheese Danish
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Handheld or stand mixer
- Baking Sheets
- Piping bag
Ingredients
Fruit:
- 1/2 pound strawberries sliced
- 1/2 pound rhubarb sliced
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch Salt
Danish:
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 whole egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry thawed
- 1 large egg whisked
Topping:
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter slightly firm
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss together the sliced strawberries, rhubarb, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon with a pinch of salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, 1 egg, vanilla, lemon juice and cinnamon until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large piping bag, fitted with a large plain circle tip; set aside.
- Unwrap both sheets of puff pastry, roll it out slightly and then cut each sheet into six even rectangles so you end up with twelve pieces in total. Place six on each prepared baking sheet. Using a sharp pairing knife lightly score an outline on each piece of pastry along the edge to create a border. Do not cut all the way down through the pastry, just slightly. Then use a fork to poke holes throughout the center of each. Place the sheets in the freezer for about 10 minutes to rechill.
- Meanwhile, make the topping. In a small bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter and work it in with your fingers until coarse and resembles chunky sand.
- Whisk the remaining egg with a splash of water and brush the pastry sheets liberally with the egg wash. Pipe out about 2 tablespoons of filling onto the center of each. Then top with the strawberries and rhubarb. Sprinkle liberally with the crumb topping and bake until puffed up and deep golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!
This looks like the perfect, beautiful, spring desert…now I just have to track down some rhubarb! 🙂 We know this is a cooking website but I think I can speak for all of us here that one little photo of your new little guy would be so appreciated. Maybe you could post a photo of one of you holding him in your kitchen and that would meet the website requirements. LOL!
great idea for a Danish, I love rhubarb, and nice to be able to make this from scratch, so much better than a pre-made one, so thank you!