The "Most Beautiful, I Love You" Strawberry and Cream Cheese Danish

Been too busy to blog, though, apparently, not too busy to cook or bake. In fact, finding myself particularly lethargic/loathe to read or study for class yesterday, I decided to get my baking for Monday done instead. (Yes; I have something of a schedule for this. And ingredients are perishable! Haha; don't judge me with those eyes :p)

I wanted to make something for Bible Study Monday morning. I made a savory pie last week-- pictures and recipe to come at some point-- and wanted to do something similar this week, but apparently neglected to buy enough frozen pie dough at the store... so I decided to go with something sweet instead:

Strawberry and Cream Cheese Danish

The danishes were actually pretty easy to make, though they did take some time. (Cooling time can be quite extensive when you don't have a real cooling rack and have to improvise with someone else's baking pan.)

I think, when I was really young, I really hated danishes-- but without really knowing what they were or how they tasted. I remember my mom and dad would get them sometimes from Costco or the local supermarket bakery, and I would always wrinkle my nose and say, "Ewww!" before devouring a coconut flake doughnut instead (mmm, but I digress). It was probably because I was really confused about the idea of cheese being in a dessert (incidentally, I couldn't even eat cheesecake until I was in high school). Didn't these grown-ups know that cheese belonged only on pizza, burgers, and my macaroni?!

Still, there's an art to cheesy desserts. Some cheesecakes taste too much of cream cheese; others taste too much of sugar. Most danishes I've had actually belong to this latter category. And so, it was with a mixture of hope and trepidation that I embarked on my very first danish-making "adventure."

It was, if I do say so myself, a resounding success.

Here they are, fresh out of the oven and transferred to the back of someone else's baking pan for cooling. Un-iced at this point, but probably still delicious. They certainly smelled it!

I apologize for their gloppy appearance. I used a spoon to "drizzle" the icing. Next time, I'll use a chopstick... should be a lot prettier :)

My friend Tom couldn't wait for his-- despite my warnings that they'd probably taste better the next day. But it was worth it to let him devour it right away-- he closed his eyes in an exaggerated way, proclaimed that it was better than the "most beautiful woman" (yeah, we worry about him :p), and declared his love for me (aww, Tom, the feeling is mutual!).

I had one today-- I couldn't help myself-- and, I must say, the decision to add strawberry preserves was definitely the right one. They were the perfect complement to the sweet vanilla of the icing and the cream cheese filling. The danish was sweet, creamy, and buttery. Mmm.

And now, of course, I have to get them out of my room as quickly as possible! Haha.

Hopefully, you guys will enjoy making (and eating) them as much as I did :)

The "Most Beautiful, I Love You" Recipe (Strawberry and Cream Cheese Danish - Modified; Original/Base Recipe here, Courtesy of Natalie, AllRecipes.com)

Ingredients:
Danish and Filling:
2 (10-oz.) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough (I used "Big and Buttery", which seemed to give the danish a nice, subtly salty underflavor)
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, diced
1/2 cup white sugar (generous)
1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sour cream
1/2 jar strawberry preserves (optional-- probably, either blueberry or apricot preserves would also taste delicious)

Icing:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons milk (I didn't have milk, so I substituted with some milk powder and water-- more heavy on the milk powder than recommended on the package, though, mainly because I thought it'd give a richer taste. I refrigerated the mixture for a bit before spooning into the bowl)
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (generous)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking sheet.
2. Open up the crescent rolls and, still in tube form, slice the dough (like purchased cookie dough) into slices about 1/4 inch thick. You should get approximately 20 slices per tube. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, pressing down a little to flatten. Take a measuring tablespoon and make little indentations/craters in the center of each slice. The filling will sit here :)
3. In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and sour cream.


4. Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the center of each circle. (I filled to the top of each "crater.") Top with fruit preserve.


5. Bake in preheated oven for 13-15 minutes.
6. In a small bowl, mix the milk and butter together. Slowly add the confectioner's sugar, stirring all the while. Add the vanilla extract and stir until blended. After the danish has cooled, drizzle each with icing.
7. Best served the following day/after some refrigeration.

"Something is delicious in the state of Denmark."