Pretty danish

Refrigerated crescent rolls have made my life so much easier.

They've made it possible for me to serve a flaky and delicious bread with special meals as well as other fun treats. I've used them to make taco rings and a chicken luncheon ring as well as a delicious chocolate chip treat. And sometimes for Saturday lunch, I place ham and cheese between layers of the uncooked pastry and bake it for a hot sandwich my family loves.

And today's recipe is so very delicious and looks so much harder to make than it really is.

The recipe for Easy Danish takes just a few minutes to put together, is lovely to look at and is so very good to eat!

I first made this recipe five or six years ago and remember it from time to time, pull it out and make it again. It makes me feel good to be able to make something so pretty in such a short time.

I use the reduced fat option crescent rolls for this recipe. The dough in each container is rolled out to make four large rectangles (or two crescent rolls side-by-side). A smooth and delicious cream cheese mixture (again, I use the low-fat option) is spread over the rectangle, then the dough is rolled up into a rope. Coil the rope and put some preserves or pie filling in the middle, and you're ready to bake.

Once the rolls are cooked and have a cooled a few minutes, add a simple glaze, and you're done.

How simple is that?

These pastries are delicious served while still warm or warmed up briefly in the microwave.

Stayed tuned next week for another easy cresent recipe.



Easy Danish

• 1 tube (8 ounces) reduced fat refrigerated crescent rolls*
• 4 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Preserves or pie filling

Glaze:

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 teaspoons milk

Separate dough into four rectangles; press together perforations on a floured surface. Roll each rectangle just a little to make a solid sheet of dough.

In bowl, mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Spread mixture spread each rectangle. Roll up from a long side, like a you’re rolling cinnamon rolls; pinch edges to seal. Hold down one end and coil pastry to make a circle.

Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Top each coil with 2 teaspoons topping. I used cherry preserves and apple pie filling I made on the stove.

Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Combine powdered sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency for drizzle.

Makes 4 servings.

Adapted from Taste of Home


* If you don’t like a heavy layer of cream cheese filling, buy two tubes of crescent rolls and make eight danishes.