Strawberry Almond Cream Cheese Danish

During Strawberry season they used to carry a line of Strawberry Cream Cheese Danish that I totally loved.  There is something really wonderful that happens when you combine strawberry filling and puff pastry.

Add a cream cheese filling and you are in taste heaven.  End of story!

I was sitting here looking out at the sunshine today and thinking about my time at Timmies this morning and decided to re-create the flavours of their Strawberry Danish for Todd to enjoy. 

I think I did a pretty good job  . . .  ahem . . .  maybe these are even better.  *blush*

And they only require a few ingredients.  One package of all butter puff pastry.  I use the all butter one because I don’t like to use or eat things like palm oil if I can help it, and well, all butter puff pastry just tastes better! 

You simply unroll the pastry and cut it into 8 even rectangles.  Then you lightly score a half inch border all around the edge of the rectangles using a sharp knife.

You will also need 1 free range egg yolk, which is divided.  1/2 of it gets used in the filling and 1/2 gets beaten with a bit of water and brushed around the borders you just created.  You then press flaked almonds into the borders, just lightly so that they will adhere. 

The other half egg yolk gets beaten into some cream cheese, sugar and flavourings.  I use pure flavourings. Almond and Vanilla. 

This gets spooned into the centre of the pastries. It will be a bit runny, but that’s okay.  Just don’t overfill them and there won’t be a problem. You may not need it all, but there shouldn’t be a lot leftover. 

After that you want to take the best strawberry jam you can buy. ( I confess, I adore Bonne Maman.)  Just plunk about two teaspoons down the centre of the pastries. Don’t be tempted to over-fill.  Hot jam expands.

And that’s it.  Bang those babies into the oven and let the magic happen  . . .

Let that pastry puff up and develop all of it’s flaky golden layers  . . .

Let that rich cream cheese custard bake through . . . . mmmm . . . .

And let that sweet strawberry jam bubble away and get all sticky gooey berry-ish . . .

A flicker of almond icing is the finishing touch . . .  it gilds these lilies to perfection!

Strawberry Almond Cream Cheese Danish

These wonderfully flaky pastries will have your family reaching for seconds. Quick, easy and delicious! If you have all the elements ready and waiting they go together in a flash.

What more can I say but nummity nummity nummity num num num! Hmmm . . . why oh why do I do this to myself?  So very hard to resist!

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The English Kitchen

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