I was thirteen when I first stumbled upon a cheese danish. In the Starbucks drive-thru with my mom, I (unusually impulsively) made the decision not to order the family classic, (butter croissant with apple juice) and instead take a chance on a pastry made with cheese that promised to be sweet and vaguely European. I cannot remember if I liked the danish or not, and I remember so little about actually eating it that I don’t count it as my first danish. A few months ago, feeling adventurous, and once again at Starbucks, I ordered the mysterious cheese danish for the second time, admittedly not expecting much. Two bites in, I realized danishes are fantastic. Or really, that cheese danishes have the potential to be life-changingly delicious. Because if a slightly warmed, Starbucks danish was even somewhat good, that probably meant that a danish made from scratch would be amazing. And so, cheese danishes were added to my “baking bucket list.”
Tomorrow, I’m going to make danishes for the first time, using the recipe from my New York Times cookbook.
Cupcakes by Claudia 