Chocolate, Lemon & Espresso Ricotta Danish

Name: Chocolate, Lemon & Espresso Ricotta Danish
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 14 ounces puff pastry; 8 ounces whole milk ricotta; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon espresso extract; 1/4 cup confectioners sugar; 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest; 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips; 1 egg; 1/2 cup confectioners sugar; 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder; a splash of vanilla extract; 1-2 teaspoons whole milk

July 12, 2021

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I would like to start this recipe by expressing my new found appreciation for the combination of chocolate, lemon and espresso. Although I have loved them all individually for quite a while, I have only just recently combined them all together and am so glad that I did.

The filling in this danish is creamy, rich and bright and there aren’t too many things can be all of that at the same time, but this filling totally is and if you use store bought puff pastry, you will be enjoying these little beauties in less than 30 minutes.

Let’s get them started…

To make six beautiful little danishes, you will need one 14 ounce sheet of puff pastry. I love and highly recommend WeWalka’s refrigerated puff pastry. It has always worked perfectly for me and there is no need to thaw it out.

For the filling, you will need 8 ounces of whole milk ricotta, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of espresso powder, 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar, 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon zest and 3/4 cup of mini chocolate chips. I used milk chocolate chips, but semi-sweet or dark will work great, as well.

Combine all of the filling ingredients in a small bowl. This filling smells so good!

Now unwrap your puff pastry and gently roll it out on a sheet of parchment paper. You want the sheet to be approximately 15 inches long and 10 inches wide. Rolling the sheet out will give you six 5″x5″ squares and will make the puff pastry just little thinner than it was originally, which is what we want for these danishes.

Using a sharp knife, divide the sheet into six equal portions. I am slightly OCD, so I use a ruler, but you can totally eye ball it, if you prefer.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and transfer one portion of puff pastry onto it. Add about 2 tablespoons of the filling into the center of the square and sprinkle a few more mini chocolate chips over top (this is optional, but why not?).

To fold the danish, simply bring the left and right corners into the center (they will overlap a little bit) and then bring the top and bottom corners together over top. Once your danish is folded, repeat with the remaining portions.

This what each little danish should look like.

Arrange the danish on your parchment lined baking sheet with about two inches of space between each one and prepare an egg wash by whisking 1 egg with 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl. Brush the top and sides of each danish lightly with the egg wash and bake them on the center rack of a 375 degree oven for 22-25 minutes or until the puff pastry is puffy, flaky and lightly golden brown.

Once the danish is golden brown, carefully transfer them onto a cooling rack and let them cool off just a bit.

Now, of course, they are delicious straight out of the oven, but if you want to whip up a quick espresso drizzle (and of course you do!), combine 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of espresso powder and a splash of vanilla extract in a small dish. Whisk in just enough whole milk to develop a drizzle consistency (this should take 1 or 2 teaspoons).

Drizzle each danish and a little dust of confectioners sugar and get ready to eat more danish than you thought you would…

I recommend enjoying your chocolate, lemon and espresso ricotta danish with a big cup of coffee or creamy tea. The filling has richness from the ricotta, a bright acidity from the lemon and the perfect amount of chocolate. The drizzles adds just a bit more sweetness and espresso flavors… each bite is sweet perfection.

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