Crazy Delicious Cheesy Cherry Danish Food

EASY CHEESE DANISH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream them together on low speed until smooth. With the mixer still on low, add the egg yolks, ricotta, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix until just combined. Don't whip!
• Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until it's a 10 by 10-inch square. Cut the sheet into quarters with a sharp knife. Place a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling into the middle of each of the 4 squares. Brush the border of each pastry with egg wash and fold 2 opposite corners to the center, brushing and overlapping the corners of each pastry so they firmly stick together. Brush the top of the pastries with egg wash. Place the pastries on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry and refrigerate the filled Danish for 15 minutes.
• Bake the pastries for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking, until puffed and brown. Serve warm.

ASSORTED INDIVIDUAL DANISH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a rectangle measuring a little larger than 20 x 10 inches when relaxed. Brush off any excess flour. Square off the edges with a pizza cutter. Cut the rectangle into 10 (5 inch) squares. Spread each with remonce and/or the filling. Form the pastries. Place on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Proof, in a warm draft free place, covered with a dish towel, until they are a little puffy and a finger pressed lightly into the dough leaves a slight indentation. Brush lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar or topping. Bake about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a rack. While still warm, brush lightly with warm apricot glaze or drizzle with icing.
• Pinwheels: Spread with remonce. Sprinkle on some extra cinnamon sugar. Brush the of the square with egg wash. Cut a slit from each corner almost into the center, stopping just short of the center. Fold every other tip into the center, overlapping them, and press firmly. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Proof, covered, about 1/2 hour. Press the center down with your finger where the tips overlap and fill with 1/2 rounded teaspoon jam or filling.
• Eggwash, sprinkle with coarse sugar, and bake about 20 minutes, or until nicely colored.
• Envelopes: Spread square with remonce. Sprinkle with finely chopped chocolate mixed with sugar. Turn the square so that a point is at the top. Put and elongated mound of about 2 tablespoons of cheese filling from top to bottom. Egg wash the side corners. Fold one corner over the filling and press firmly. Fold the other end over the top and press very firmly to seal. Place on lined baking sheet and proof, covered, about 1/2 hour. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar and chopped chocolate. Bake about 20 minutes, or until nicely browned. (Or spread with lemon curd and then cheese filling and garnish before baking with toasted sliced almonds.)
• Cheese pockets: Spread the square with remonce. Place a rounded tablespoon of cheese filling in the middle of the square. Brush the corners with egg wash. Fold two opposite sides up and press firmly, as in the envelopes above. Bring the bottom corner up and press firmly over the fold. Lastly, bring the top corner up and across the fold and pinch it to seal. Proof, covered, as above. Egg wash and sprinkle the top with streusel. Bake about 25 minutes, until nicely browned.
• Turnovers: Spread with remonce. Place a big dollop of chunky homemade applesauce or pear sauce on one side of the square. Egg wash the edges and fold over into a triangle. Press around the edge with a fork to seal. Proof, etc. Before baking, egg wash and sprinkle with coarse or pearl sugar.
• Whisk together the flour and sugar. Drizzle in the melted butter as you mix with your fingertips or a rubber spatula.
• Blend the sugar with the softened cream cheese until thoroughly combined. Don't overbeat or aerate. Mix in the yolk. Chill until firm.
• Mix to combine. You can use any spice or combination of spices.
• Place the apricot jam and water in a small saucepot and warm over medium high heat until it dissolves. Just before boiling, remove from heat. Dilute with a little more water if necessary until it is thin enough to brush evenly. Apply immediately with a soft, flat pastry brush.
• Whisk a very small amount of milk into the sugar until all the lumps are gone. Continue to add milk, a few drops at a time, until it ribbons off the whisk. Drizzle it over the warm pastry using your fingertips, a fork, or the whisk.
• Yield: 1/2 cup
• Cream the butter, sugar (and cinnamon, if added). Keep refrigerated. Let soften at room temperature to spreadable consistency before using.

DANISH CHERRIES

Steps:

• 1) Place cherries in a heavy medium-sized saucepan, and cook over medium heat, covered, for 10 minutes.
• 2) Meanwhile, combine cornstarch and sugar in a small bowl. Add lemon juice and whisk until smooth. Stir this into the hot cherries, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thick (5 to 8 minutes).
• 3) Remove from heat and stir in lemon rind, almond extract and slivered almonds. Serve hot, warm, room, temperature, or cold, top with whipped cream, whipped ricotta or yogurt.

HG'S CRAZY-DELICIOUS CHEESY CHERRY DANISH - WW POINTS = 3

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• To make the icing, combine Splenda, powdered sugar, and cornstarch in a small microwave-safe bowl. Add 1/2 tablespoons cold water and the vanilla extract, and mix until ingredients have dissolved. Add Marshmallow Creme and microwave for 5 seconds, or until creme is soft enough to fold into mixture. Stir until smooth. Add Cool Whip and stir again, until evenly combined. Refrigerate icing until you're ready to ice the Danish.
• In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, oats, Splenda, soymilk (or skim milk), and almond extract, and stir until thoroughly mixed. Fold in cherries and set aside. This is your filling.
• Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray. Lay out your dough on the sheet and (using a rolling pin, a can, or your hands) lightly roll it out into a long rectangle of even thickness. Arrange baking sheet in front of you so that the short sides are on the left and right and the long sides are on the top and bottom. Spoon cherry filling lengthwise across the middle third of the dough, leaving 1-inch borders on the left and right of the filling.
• Along the top third of the dough, cut slits down from the top of the dough toward the filling, stopping about 1/2 inch away from the filling -- space slits about 1 inch apart from each other. Repeat on the bottom part of the rectangle, cutting upward toward the filling. This will create 1-inch-wide strips of dough on both the top and bottom of the filling.
• Starting at one side, alternate folding the 1-inch strips from the top and the bottom over the filling, covering filling completely and creating a criss-crossed, "braided" appearance. After all the strips have been folded, fold the short sides of the dough in toward the filling, so filling cannot escape, and pat firmly to seal.
• Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until pastry is crispy and golden brown. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
• Just before serving, drizzle entire Danish with icing. Cut into 9 slices and indulge! (P.S. Refrigerate leftovers.).