Best Poppy Seed Danishes With Cherry Cream Cheese Filling Recipes

SWEET DANISH HAMANTASCHEN WITH CREAM CHEESE FILLING & POPPYS

Steps:

• To Prepare Filling: Beat together cream cheese, honey and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, salt, and orange zest. Mix until cohesive.
• To Prepare Poppy Seed Streusel: Beat all ingredients on low speed until the mixture crumbles. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• To Prepare Dough: In a mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients. Add cold, cubed butter with paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for about 3 minutes or until mixture resembles cornmeal. Add all wet ingredients and mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until dough forms a batter.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let set in a refrigerator overnight. After 24 hours remove dough from bowl and place on a well-floured surface. Flour the top of the dough and roll into a 12X4" rectangle. With the rectangle horizontal to you fold the right third of the dough over the left creating a letter fold. Wrap in plastic wrap and return to refrigerator to rest for 30 minutes. Repeat the letter fold technique two more times (alternating left, then right).After the third turn is complete let rest in refrigerator for 30 more minutes. Remove dough from refrigerator and place dough on well-floured surface and roll out to 1/4" thick, keeping it as close to a square as possible.
• Cut the Danish into 3" squares and place about 1 tablespoon of filling (filling recipe below) into the center of the square. Sprinkle the streusel (streusel recipe below) on top and bring corners into the center forming a pouch.
• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Brush dough with egg whites and sprinkle with more streusel. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool and dust with powder sugar.

DANISH DOUGH

Steps:

• In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk; stir until dissolved. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine 1 pound, 4 ounces flour, sugar, salt, cardamom, and 4 tablespoons butter; beat on low speed until butter is incorporated and the mixture resembles coarse meal, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the yeast-milk mixture; mix until dough just comes together. Add the eggs and yolk; mix until just combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not overmix.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, making sure to include any loose bits left at the bottom of the bowl. Gently knead to form a smooth ball, about 30 seconds. Wrap well with plastic, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Paddle remaining 3 1/2 sticks butter with 2 tablespoons flour. Form flour and butter mixture into a 12-by-10-inch rectangle on a sheet of plastic wrap. Refrigerate 15 minutes or up to 1 day. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to an 18-by-10-inch rectangle, a little over a 1/4 inch thick, keeping the corners as square as possible. Remove any excess flour with a dry pastry brush. Remove butter mixture from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature until it reaches the consistency of the dough. With a short side facing you, place butter mixture over 2/3 of the dough. Fold the unbuttered third over as you would a business letter, followed by the remaining third. This seals in the butter.
• Roll out dough again to an 18-by-10-inch rectangle, then fold dough into thirds as described above; refrigerate for 1 hour. This is the first of three turns. Repeat rolling and folding two more times, refrigerating for at least 1 hour between turns. To help you remember how many turns have been completed, mark the dough after each one: make one mark for the first turn, two for the second, and three for the third.
• Refrigerate dough, tightly wrapped in plastic, for at least 4 hours or overnight. Dough can also be frozen, tightly wrapped in plastic, for up to 2 weeks; before using, thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight.