Braided Cheese Danish

Dough that has risen overnight

2 T.       yeast

1/2 c.    warm water

6 T.       granulated sugar

1/2 lb.   butter or margarine (or 1                c. oil + 1 tsp. salt)

3           eggs

1 c.       sour cream

5 c.       bread flour (1/2 whole                    wheat, 1/2 white)

Mix yeast & water. Add sugar. Cream butter (or margarine or oil and salt) with eggs & sour cream. Add flour & yeast mixture, mixing well. Cover & refrigerate over-night. Next day divide into six equal parts.

Spreading out the filling 

Spoon 1/6 of the filling mixture down the center of each dough rectangle.

Baked and ready for glaze

Once the Danishes are baked and cool, top with a glaze of:

2/3 c.    powdered sugar, sifted

2 T.       milk

1/4 tsp. almond extract

Delectable Filling

3 8-oz.  packages cream cheese

3           eggs

7 1/2 T. granulated sugar

3 tsp.    vanilla 

Mix with an electric mixer. Divide into six equal parts.

Braiding

Once you have evenly divided the filling among the six rectangles of dough, spread it almost up to the top and bottom edge of the dough, filling roughly 1/3 of the horizontal space. Then begin carefully cutting the dough with a sharp knife, starting at the cream cheese filling and slanting down toward the outer edge, roughly 8-10 strips per side (but the same # on one side as the other). Fold the strips of dough at an angle all the way across the filling, alternating from side to side and overlapping each other. Once braid is complete fold top edge of dough over to seal in filling. Repeat with bottom edge. 

Drizzling on the almond glaze