Danishes can be either sweet or savory depending on the type of filling used.
You can use jams to create fruit Danishes. Jams are thick and easily used to fill Danishes. It’s much easier to use jams to fill fruit Danishes over fruit sauce.
Custard can be used to fill Danishes of all shapes. You can make raspberry custard, espresso custard, vanilla custard, etc. to fill your Danishes.
Cream cheese fillings are made with egg yolks, cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla to create a smooth filling for Danishes. Cream cheese filled Danishes are both filling and satisfying.
Danish pastries can be filled using:
- jam
- custard or pastry cream
- cream cheese filling
- almond paste
- ham and cheese
Danish Pastry Filling
How to make vanilla bean custard for Danish pastry filling
Yield: 3 cups
Materials
- 1 vanilla bean
- 6 egg yolks
- 2/3 cup sugar granulated
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 tbsp butter unsalted
- 2 cups milk
Instructions
- Place milk in a medium saucepan on low-medium heat.
- Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. Remove the vanilla beans and place them in the milk. Place the whole vanilla bean in the milk.
- Let the milk just come to a simmer, not boiling. Turn off the heat source and remove the milk from the heat. Let the vanilla bean infuse flavor for 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, separate your eggs. Place the egg yolks in a large heat proof bowl.
- Add sugar and cornstarch and mix together with a whisk.
- Remove the vanilla bean from the saucepan. Slowly temper the eggs by adding a couple of tablespoons of the milk to the eggs at a time and vigorously whisking it until fully emulsified.
- Continue adding the milk very slowly until fully combined. You do not want to cook the eggs.
- Strain the mixture back into the saucepan and heat on medium heat.
- Whisk the mixture frequently. Heat the mixture until the cornstarch has activated. It should be a few minutes. You will feel the mixture becoming thickened with your whisk.
- Cook for 1 more minute after it has started to thicken.
- Remove the custard from the heat and add butter. Whisk butter into the custard until it's fully melted. If you want to add any more vanilla flavor, you can add 1-2 tsp of vanilla extract.
- Let the custard cool to room temperature. Then place plastic cling wrap on top of the custard to prevent a film from forming.
- Chill the custard for 2 hours before using.