Cream cheese danish, homemade cream cheese \"toaster strudels\"

So I was in an experimenting mode this morning and had some crescent roll dough (Pillsbury). After looking at a few recipes, what I made came out like a 'cheese danish' or something reminiscent of the cream cheese toaster strudels. These are lower fat (I used the lower fat dough) and you can make many varieties.

I really really miss cheese danish type pastries...these completely fit the need for me [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

Basic recipe:

1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough, low fat [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] I also had a can of the Big & Flaky crescent dough (6 rolls) and it worked well

cream cheese (I used full fat) - sat out for 30 minutes to soften

confectioner's sugar

room temp butter

jam, soybutter, chocolate soy butter, chocolate chips, etc.

So - for each 4 oz of cream cheese I used 1/4 cup plus 2 TB confectioner's sugar and 1/2 TB butter. You can also add a little lemon or orange zest...1/8 tsp would work for every 4 oz cream cheese. If you add vanilla...JUST A DROP! or else it'll taste too strong. Whip all the above together. This is the filling.

Use parchment paper for best results, or PAM your cookie sheets. Preheat according to the temperature on the dough. The regular crescents are 375d and the 'big and flaky' at 350d.

Take apart the dough into the triangles. For cream cheese crescents, spread the cream cheese mixture 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick on the larger end of the triangle, and leave 1/4 inch free on the edges (though it still will smoosh out when baking). Go about halfway down the triangle, leaving the narrow tip end free of cream cheese. Now, add your treats!

- if you use jam, spread it thinly over the cream cheese
- sprinkle mini chips over the cream cheese

roll up gently (not tight) like regular crescents...place so the narrow point is under the roll, then bake as usual til a nice golden brown.

If you want to use soybutter, you just spread the room temp soybutter on the crescent like you did the cream cheese. I made some with soybutter and chocolate chips. I also made some with chocolate soybutter.

Enjoy!
Adrienne

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30-something survivor of severe peanut/tree nut allergy