Apple Cream Cheese Danish Braid Recipes

APPLE CREAM CHEESE DANISH BRAID

Steps:

• Cook apples, brown sugar, vanilla,and cinnamon in a saute pan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, and heavy cream until smooth.
• Fold your puff pastry into thirds and then lay out flat on a baking sheet. If you made your own, cut into a large rectangle.
• Cut slits on each side of your pastry, pointed upwards diagonally, in ½ inch increments.
• Generously spread cheesecake mixture over the middle third, tuck in the top and bottom flap, and then "braid" up each pastry piece, alternating, until you get to the end.
• Brush with butter, and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden and fluffy.
• Remove from oven, let cool, and enjoy.

APPLE CREAM CHEESE BRAID DANISH

Steps:

• Heat butter, sugar, water and milk to 120F.
• Combine 2 cups flour, salt and yeast in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center. Add butter mixture. Mix in additional 1/2 cup flour and egg. Knead on low speed for about 7-8 minutes scraping down bowl as needed. Add additional 1/2 cup of flour while kneading if necessary. Dough should be smooth.
• Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise for about an hour or until doubled in bulk.
• Meanwhile, over low heat combine apples, butter, sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch. Heat until apples are softened, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• In a small bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice. Mix until smooth.
• After dough has doubled in bulk. On floured parchment or silicone mat roll out dough into a large rectangle about 12 x 10.
• Spread cream cheese filling down the center. Arrange apple mixture on top.
• Using a pizza cutter cut diagonally from end of dough towards center in 1 inch strips. Do this on both sides.
• Starting on one side of the braid pull one strip up and over the braid. Repeat with the other side. Continue alternating until braid is complete.
• Cover loosely with plastic. Let rise for about 30-40 minutes.
• Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes or until braid is golden brown.
• Combine powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Drizzle over braid. Serve warm or allow to cool and then serve. Delicious either way.

APPLE DANISH

Steps:

• Combine 1 cup flour, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and instant yeast in a mixing bowl. Add the water and room temperature butter and beat for 1 minute. Stir in the remaining cup of flour and mix well. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to an oiled bowl, turning to coat the surface of the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Place the chopped apples and 3 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan. Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well; add the mixture to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the apples are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the filling to cool.
• Transfer the Danish dough to a floured surface and punch the dough down. Let the dough rest, covered, for 15 minutes. Roll the dough out into a 13 x 8-inch rectangle. Place the dough on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Turn the baking sheet so that you face the short side of the dough. Spread the apple filling down the center third of the dough. With a sharp paring knife, make cuts in the dough along the right side, starting each cut about 1/4 inch from the apple filling. Cut to the edge of the dough strip, with each cut angled to about 4 o'clock. Each strip of dough should be about 1-inch thick. Repeat on the left side of the dough, angling the cuts to 8 o'clock.
• Starting at the top, fold the dough strips across the apple filling, alternating left and right. The pastry will look like a long braid. Pinch the top and bottom ends of the braid to seal in the filling. Cover the pastry and let it rise at room temperature until the dough is puffy, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake the braid for 20 minutes, covering it with aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning. Remove the pastry from the oven and allow it to cool.
• To make the glaze, heat the 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally and cook until the milk solids turn brown and give off a nutty fragrance, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool slightly. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Mix in the milk a teaspoon at a time until the glaze is thin enough to drizzle. Decorate the Danish braid with the glaze.

APPLE DANISH BRAID

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• In a bowl, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar until well blended. Add egg mixing until smooth.
• Unroll 1 pkg. of crescent dough; do not separate.
• Arrange longest sides of dough across width of 12" x 15" baking pan. Repeat with remaining pkg. of dough. Work dough to seal perforations. (or use recipe creations, which isn't scored).
• On longest side of baking pan, cut dough into strips 1-1/2 inches apart, 3 inches deep using pizza cutter (there will be 6 inches in the center for the filling).
• Spread half of cream cheese mixture evenly over middle of dough.
• Cut apple slices crosswise in half; evenly arrange apple slices over cream cheese mixture.
• Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over apples.
• Scoop remaining cream cheese mixture over apples; sprinkle with pecans. To braid: lift strips of dough across mixture to meet in center, twisting each strip one turn.
• Continue alternating strips to form a braid.
• Tuck ends under to seal at end of braid.
• Bake 25-28 minutes or until deep golden brown.
• Remove from oven; brush with syrup using pastry brush. Cut & serve.