Easy Cheese Danish Bites

For me, breakfast usually consists of fruit or fruit juice. This is one of the things I do to keep healthy. It’s sort of a balance thing. I eat red meat, rich sauces and lots of desserts. So I try to balance that with healthier options in other areas, such as breakfast.

But then the weekend shows up and all bets are off. As far as I’m concerned, there are no calories on weekends. In addition, on the weekend we usually have more time for fun stuff like making a really good breakfast. Sometimes I’ll do waffles (In the mornin’, I’m makin’ waffles!) and eggs and bacon and sausage and all sorts of stuff. Other times, however, I’m in the mood for something lighter, but still enjoyable.

Enter the danish. This recipe is pretty easy to make, and most of the time is spent waiting for them to bake and cool. You can use that time to turn this into a mini-feast if you happen to be serving a special someone. Squeeze some orange juice. Cut up some strawberries or melon. Go steal a flower from your neighbor’s garden. (Not really. Get your own. Real men aren’t afraid of gardening any more than they’re afraid to cook.)

Ingredients:

For the danish:

2 cans of crescent rolls
1 8oz package of cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp vanilla
1 tsp sour cream

For the icing:

1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp softened butter

Instructions:

Take cream cheese out of the refrigerator at least an hour (better if it’s two) before preparing. This ensures the cheese will be soft and easy to work with.

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Carefully open then crescent rolls, but do NOT unroll them. Leave the rolls in the cylindrical shape they came in.

Cut the dough into 1/4 inch disks and place them on the cookie sheet.

Press the center of each disk to make a depression.

Using a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and sour cream. Blend thoroughly using a wooden spoon or other implement. Make sure everything is well combined and that your mixture has a nice smooth texture.

Add a spoonful of cheese mixture to the center of each disk. Normally, about a tablespoon is enough, but you can use more or less to taste.

Bake on center rack at  for 15 to 20 minutes. To make sure you don’t overdo them, check them at about 13 minutes.

Take the danish out of the oven and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes before icing.

While the danish are cooling, make the icing as follows:

In a small bowl, combine the confectioner’s sugar, milk and butter. Beat it like a drum until it’s as smooth as silk.

Drizzle icing over the top of each danish and serve immediately.

Notes:

I’m serious about letting the cream cheese come to room temperature. You can make this without that step, but it will take a lot more effort. If you wake up early for a Nature Call, you can always take the cheese out of the fridge then and go back to sleep for a while.

You can substitute a baking pan for the cookie sheet if needed, and you can substitute aluminum foil for the parchment paper. Paper is best, though, as it makes it very easy to lift the danish after they’re done. It also makes clean-up a breeze.

If you’re out of sour cream, you can use an equal amount of regular cream or half and half. It won’t be exactly the same, but it will still be good.

Try these next time you’re up for a lazy Sunday morning. But, seriously, get the flower for the tray if you’re serving breakfast in bed.

Until next time,

Play with your food!

Lane

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