Loaded Baked Potato Danishes
A flaky puff pastry danish filled with buttery potato, cheese, and scallions
Servings 10
Ingredients
- 2 large sheets puff pastry
- 4 large white potatoes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 stick butter
- 1/3 cup parmesan
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 egg + 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 3/4 lb fresh grated cheddar
- 1 lb green onions / scallions
- 1 lb Bacon optional
Instructions
- Start by making the potato mousse filling. Boil a large stockpot of water filled 2/3 with water until boiling.
- Boil potatoes under fork tender. Then remove from water and transfer two of them to refrigerator. Scoop out the flesh of the other two into a large mixing bowl.
- Meanwhile, heat your heavy cream and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until lightly bubbling.
- Pass your potatoes through a potato ricer and add your hot heavy cream. Then, add your salt, butter, parmesan, and egg yolks. Your mixture should be smooth and silky.
- Transfer potato mousse to a large piping bag. Do not snip the tip. Transfer piping bag to the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Next, thaw your puff pastry and unroll into two large sheets. If using homemade puff pastry, roll pastry out until 1/4" thick. Cut into 8-10 equal squares.
- Fold each square over on itself into a triangle. Then, cut two slits in the triangle from the large flat side towards the tip. Make sure not to connect your two cuts, leaving about a half inch between them.
- Unfold your squares and twist your puff pastry edges over onto the opposite edge of the square. You will be left with a picture frame of sorts with a nice knotted edge. Chill pastry for a few minutes to prevent from overworking.
- Once your danishes are ready, transfer them onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Snip the end of the piping bag and pipe a generous swirl of your potato mousse onto the center of each danish. Then, remove your extra two pre-cooked potatoes from the fridge and very thinly slice them into chips. They should be as thin as possible, ideally using a mandolin.
- Top your potato mousse with a generous layer of potato slices. Then, in a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg and 2 tbsp heavy cream to make your egg wash. Brush your egg wash generously onto each danish, coating the whole puff pastry and potatoes.
- Before baking, top your danishes with a sprinkle of sea salt, thinly sliced green onions, crisped bacon bits, and a generous sprinkle of fresh shredded sharp cheddar.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes. Then broil for 3-4 minutes to caramelize the cheese topping. Be careful not to burn your puff pastry.
Notes
- If you use bacon, cook before starting your piping and danish topping. Let cool and crumble.
- You can experiment with different cheeses - I love cheddar, but you can also use parmesan, gouda, or whatever you have locally that's sharp and salty.
- Be mindful when broiling that the edges of your pastry will burn quickly.