Barefoot! Easy Cheese Danish

**not gluten free**

This month the wonderful hosts at Barefoot decided to give us an option to make this month’s chosen recipes or do a little backtracking.  This month’s first recipe is Tuna Salad chosen by Kate at Warm Olives and Cool Cocktails.  I really wanted to make the Tuna Salad (because I adore Kate) but ultimately decided against it because The Husband and I don’t do fishies.  At all.

I thought about doing a chicken salad instead of the tuna and subbing things up but then thought If I eat chicken one more time this week I’m going to turn into a chicken! Also, I’m so strapped for time right now that I needed something quick and easy that I could make with whatever was lurking in the freezer or fridge and then run away to finish one of my zillion tasks.

I ultimately decided to make Easy Cheese Danish from the October bonus round chosen by Val at More than Burnt Toast.  I had puff pastry in the freezer and cream cheese in the fridge so I ran with it.  Of course, I only had one lemon and I’m saving that for a cocktail Friday night (no time to go to the grocery!) so I grabbed a couple dark-chocolate chips and threw them on the bottom of the pastry.  Also, instead of cutting up the pastry into squares and making individual danishes large enough for 3 people to eat, I made one long one to cut into smaller pieces.

You know those cheese danishes you get in the grocery?  You will never want one again.  Make the danish at home and you’ll be rewarded with a great flavor that doesn’t leave that preservative film on the roof of your mouth.

Easy Cheese Danish
Adapted from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa

1 package puff pastry, defrosted
1 8 oz package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 c sugar
1 T pure vanilla
2 egg yolks
2 T sour cream
Egg wash
Raw Sugar (for garnish)

In a medium bowl, cream the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth, beat in vanilla, sour cream and egg yolks just until combined.

Roll out a sheet of puff pastry.  On the outside thirds (you know the fold lines… you’ll want the two outside folds to do this: Cut slits from the outside to the center of the pastry (to the fold line) about every 1/2″.  This will make nice little ropes.  Fill the center (which has not been sliced) with a couple chocolate chips then top with the cream mixture.  Take one side of the rope and gently pull to the center, overlap with the other side… repeat until you get to the bottom.  Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with raw sugar.  Place on a sil-pat sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 22 minutes.

Tomorrow night you can find me on my back porch with a nice cold Lemon Drop enjoying the end of the week.  Maybe.  I’ll probably still be running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off.