Reverse Cinnamon Roll Danishes

Once upon a time in pastry-land, a dashing plump nobleman named Danish met a delicious damsel named Cinnamon Roll. The two were happily married and had a lovely child, the likes of which had never before been seen in the kingdom. Her unique beauty and grace shone like the stars, her inner tastefulness radiated around her and made the birds sing and the poets sigh, her days were spent in jubilant bliss – CRUNCH! My teeth sank into the flaky, buttery danish and ended its short time on my plate. You might say it’s a shame I ate the princess. But you’d have eaten her too, if you’d had a chance at such a scrumptious pastry.

Not just any pastry, either. This hybrid cinnamon roll/danish has the best of both worlds: the flaky body characteristic of quality danish pastry, and the fantastic flavor combination of cream cheese and cinnamon found in a classic cinnamon roll. The filling of a cinnamon roll is usually brown sugar and cinnamon-flavored, and sometimes there is a bit of cream cheese glaze on top. But with these danishes, the filling and icing of a cinnamon roll are reversed: a generous dollop of tart cream cheese filling is complemented by a drizzle of cinnamon roll filling. That’s why I think of these cuties as “Reverse Cinnamon Roll Danishes.” Get my logic?

Even if you don’t like my logic, you’re sure to like a taste of these rich, yummy pastries fresh from the oven. Their royal background truly shines through in the flavor profile and makes them fit for a king’s breakfast. And at only 130 calories each, these tasty treats can be enjoyed anytime, guilt-free.

Reverse Cinnamon Roll Danishes

makes 12

Ingredients:

pastry dough

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed according to directions on package (I used Aussie Bakery brand)
• egg wash (mixture of beaten egg and a bit of milk)

cream cheese filling

• 2 Laughing Cow brand Creamy Swiss cheese wedges
• 1 tbs Truvia Baking Blend
• 1 tsp lemon curd
• 1 tbs egg substitute

cinnamon drizzle

• 1 tbs Earth Balance Whipped or Original Buttery Spread (I used Whipped because it was what we happened to have in the house)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• generous splash of cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 Fahrenheit. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray.

First up, make the cream cheese filling: in a medium bowl, combine Laughing Cow cheese wedges, Truvia, lemon curd, and egg substitute. Beat using an electric mixer on low speed until mixture is creamy and smooth. Set aside.

Now, make the cinnamon drizzle: Microwave one tablespoon of Earth Balance until it is melted. Place in a small bowl with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix well.

Now, assemble the danishes: There exist a great multitude of different shapes and techniques to get creative with puff pastry. I chose the “pinwheel” style, and attempted to follow this tutorial on joepastry.com. Although my pinwheels weren’t as perfect as the ones by the pro in the tutorial, they turned out okay, especially considering I’m a total beginner in the pastry-making field.

After shaping your pinwheels, place each on prepared cookie sheet. Spoon a dollop of cream cheese filling in the center of each pinwheel. Use a pastry brush to brush the exposed surface of the puff pastry pinwheels with egg wash.

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until pastry looks golden. Let cool a few minutes. Then drizzle with the cinnamon mixture.

Now your pretty pastry princesses are ready to be saved by the prince devoured by the dragon!

I couldn’t have figured out how to make these danishes without help from the following sources: http://www.joepastry.com/category/pastry/danish-pastry/

                 http://www.thecandidappetite.com/2013/08/25/faux-danish-pastries/