Cream Cheese Danish

Here drizzled with some O.J. Reduction !



I was feeling creative and I know my husband loves a good cream cheese danish, so I came up with my own version of cream cheese danishes !
I used 2 egg yolks, to hold it together, some cornstarch and as far as cream cheese goes, I opted for the fat free cream cheese.
In order to make sure I get the shaping right, I first exercised on a piece of paper and I suggest you always do anything using paper first and then using your dough - as the dough may not be as forgiving.
They are so easy and so tasty, please give them a try !

Ingredients:
8 oz fat free cream cheese (1 package)
6 TBSP sugar
2 egg yolks (you can use 1 whole egg)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 scant TBSP cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 sheet puff pastry (1/2 package)

Directions:
Make sure you thaw the puff pastry well: leave it at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.
Mix the ingredients for the filling with a hand held mixer, making sure the cream cheese was at room temperature.


For that you need to keep it on your kitchen counter for 30-45 minutes.
After mixing, place the bowl in the fridge until ready to use.
Now sprinkle some flour on your work surface and spread the puff pastry sheet, then with a rolling pin, roll it to 12 by 12 inch square.
Cut it in 4 equal squares.


At opposite corners of the individual squares cut even v shaped slits.


Then lift one corner over the opposite inner edge.


To make sure the dough stays well in place I brushed some water in between the 2 pieces of puff pastry, just where they join together.
Preheat the oven to 400 F and place the pastry pieces on a greased baking pan or baking mat, then let them sit in the fridge until ready to bake.


When the oven is preheated, spoon the filling and bake for 15-20 minutes, keeping an eye on them.


They are SO good !
In the near future I will show you another way of filling puff pastry, without flipping the edges over each other.