Easy Matcha Danish Pastries are ideal for serving on Christmas morning. They’re easy to make, rarely found at your local bakery, and so very delicious.

A few simple folds make this pastry both pretty and practical. All you have to do is push the tips of each dough piece into the center of the rectangle. The result is a pretty danish shape that holds plenty of rich matcha cream cheese filling.

You can serve these danish pastries 3 ways: (1.) plain, (2.) with a dollop of jam on top either before or after baking, or (3.) with glazed fresh fruit. For a crowd, you can’t go wrong serving them all of these ways…and it’s so easy to do!Top these with the jam flavor of your choice. Strawberry or raspberry jams are my favorite to use here. I love that jewel-like, ruby red color against the elegant shade of leaf green.

Make the filling 1-2 days beforehand if you know you’ll be short on time. You can even shape the dough pieces ahead of time and store them in the freezer. Assemble and bake these on the day of and you’ll have hot pastries to enjoy within 20 minutes.

For an extra fancy finish, serve these with a small bowl of matcha on the side. Sift the powdered green tea atop the pastries right before serving for a double hit of the good stuff.
Three days before Christmas, I know you’re busy wrapping presents and prepping your house for guests. Please the crowds and keep ’em happy with a fresh batch of Easy Matcha Danish Pastries…so simple, so gourmet, so delicious!

Easy Matcha Danish Pastries

Makes 12 pastries.

Ingredients:

8 oz package of cream cheese, at room temperature

1 Tbsp Greek yogurt

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp cup sugar

1/2 Tbsp lemon zest

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 Tbsp matcha, sifted

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp lemon juice

strawberry jam, optional

1 package puff pastry (I used Pepperidge Farm brand)

1 egg beaten with 1 tsp of water

Equipment:

work surface

sharp knife

tablespoon measure

2 large baking sheets lined with parchment

pastry brush

cooling racks

Directions:

1. Mix the cream cheese and Greek yogurt in a stand mixer until they become light and fluffy. Add the sugar and lemon zest, then the egg yolk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. When the mixture is homogenous, add the matcha, vanilla, and lemon juice. Set this filling mixture aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. On a large work surface, cut each puff pastry sheet into 6 dough rectangles. (If using Pepperidge Farm brand puff pastry, cut once once in the middle vertically and 2 times horizontally, along the crease lines. One at a time, take a pointed edge of the pastry and push it into the center of the dough rectangle. The result should be a 6 sided polygon-like shape. Transfer these to the baking sheets lined with parchment.

3. Spoon 2 Tbsp of the matcha filling into the center of each dough polygon. At this point you have 2 options: either top the filling off with 1 tsp of strawberry jam or leave the filling plain.

4. Brush the exposed edges of the pastry with egg wash. Bake for 10 minutes, until the filling is puffed and the pastry is golden brown. Remove the pastries from the oven, then transfer them immediately to a cooling rack to cool.

5. Finish the danishes by serving them plain, with a spoonful of jam on top, or with fresh fruit.