Cherry-Almond Streusel Danish

Jean Gottfried, Upper Sandusky, OH, Bake-Off® Contest 43, 2008 Finalist

Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 22 min
Ready Time: 55 min
Yield: 8 Danish

Ingredients

STREUSEL TOPPING

2 tablespoons Domino® or C&H® Granulated Sugar
2 tablespoons Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon LAND O LAKES® Unsalted or Salted Butter
1/4 cup Fisher® Chef's Naturals® Sliced Almonds

DANISH

3 ounces cream cheese (from 8-oz package), softened
1/4 cup Domino® or C&H® Confectioners Powdered Sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cherry pie filling with more fruit (from 21-oz can)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Flaky Layers refrigerated original biscuits (8 biscuits)
3 tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Unsalted or Salted Butter, melted

ICING

1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Domino® or C&H® Confectioners Powdered Sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 teaspoons water

Preparation Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, mix granulated sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter, using fork, until mixture is crumbly. Add almonds; toss and set aside.
In another small bowl, mix 3 oz cream cheese, 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. In third small bowl, mix pie filling and almond extract.
Separate biscuits; press each biscuit into 5-inch round. On center of each biscuit round, spoon pie filling with 4 or 5 cherries and heaping 2 teaspoons cream cheese mixture. Bring all sides of dough up over filling, stretching gently if necessary, and gather in center above filling; firmly pinch edges to seal. Dip tops and sides into melted butter, then dip into streusel; lightly press streusel on tops and sides. Place seam sides down, 2 inches apart, on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool 5 minutes.
In small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon cream cheese, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until icing is smooth and creamy. Place icing in small resealable food-storage plastic bag; cut small tip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Squeeze icing in zigzag pattern on tops of cooled Danish.

Bake-Off is a registered trademark of General Mills ©2008

Domino is the registered trademark of American Sugar Refining, Inc. Yonkers, NY 10750

C&H is a registered trademark of C&H Sugar Company, Crockett, CA

Fisher and Chef’s Naturals are registered trademarks of John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc., Elgin, IL 60123-7820

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Serving Size (1/8 of recipe), Calories 400 (Calories from Fat 180), Total Fat 20g (Saturated Fat 9g, Trans Fat 3.5g), Cholesterol 30mg, Sodium 590mg, Total Carbohydrate 50g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 26g), Protein 6g; Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 10%, Vitamin C 0%, Calcium 4%, Iron 8%.

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.