Cream Cheese Danish

Our kids officially started their spring break today, and we celebrated with this delicious pastry for breakfast. The recipe makes 2 loaves and we only ate one today, so we get to enjoy the other one for breakfast tomorrow. I like recipes like that!

This is a good recipe for a late breakfast. You mix up the dough the night before, then it rises in the fridge overnight and you roll it out, fill it, and bake it in the morning. The kids and I really enjoyed it, though one didn't care for the filling. The rest of us loved the whole thing. Because it takes so long to finish in the morning, it's definitely not an everyday breakfast, but worked really well for a special occasion and I want to make it again sometime.

Cream Cheese Danish
(adapted from Taste of Home)
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3 tbsp. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream (didn't have any on hand, I just used whole milk soured with some vinegar)
1/4 tsp. salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
2 8-oz. packages cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks (I used whole eggs, why separate the eggs if you don't absolutely have to?)
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup jam, jelly, or preserves (used grape jelly)
Powdered sugar

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the sugar, butter, eggs and sour cream. Gradually add salt and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour (the dough will be soft and sticky). Place in a greased bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 2-3 times. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 16-in. x 10-in. oval; place on greased baking sheets.

For filling, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla until smooth. Spread 1-1/4 cups filling over each oval to within 1 in. of edges. Fold longest sides over filling to meet in the middle; pinch edges to seal. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

 Bake at 375° for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Spread jam on top. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator.