Easy Braided Cherry Cheese Danish Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper.
• Beat the whole egg with 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl; set aside.
• Beat the egg yolk, cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth.
• Lay out the 2 sheets of puff pastry and cut each into 4 squares. Fold the corners of the squares over by about 1 inch to make octagon shapes. Spoon the cream cheese mixture evenly into the center of each (about 2 tablespoons per); do not spread the cream cheese. Brush all of the exposed pastry with the egg wash, then dust generously with sugar.
• Bake until puffed and golden brown all over, about 18 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

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.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. FILLING: In a small saucepan, heat butter, cherries and sugar over medium low heat until sugar has dissolved. Stir in cornstarch, and continue to cook over low heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and allow to cool to room temperature. BRAIDING: Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, unroll the pastry dough from the packaging, as stated on box,1/4 inch thick. Place the dough on the baking sheet. Along one long side of the pastry make parallel cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1/2 inch apart, coming in towards the center of the dough, stopping 1 inch from the center lines. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you've already made. Spoon cherries into the braid, omitting any non-thickened juices and fill braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom "flaps", fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom "flap" up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends. Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid. Repeat with second pastry sheet. Bake the braid for 25 to 30 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven. Serve warm, or allow to cool. Keep stored in air-tight container.

Steps:

• Separate crescent dough into four rectangles. Place on an ungreased baking sheet; seal perforations. Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese onto each rectangle. Top each with 1/4 cup cherry pie filling., Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes. , Place frosting in a small microwave-safe bowl; heat on high for 15-20 seconds. Drizzle over warm pastries. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.