Guest Blog with Gillian Gregory; Apple Cream Cheese Danish

Hello!  Im starting out a guest blog series, I think its so fun to promote each other and get a new point of view here on the blog.  Let me introduce Gillian Gregory or msmarquetskitchen.blogspot.com  she brought these heavenly treats to school 2 weeks ago and I had to have the recipe!  Enjoy and go give her a follow:)

Hi! My name is Gillian Marquet and I have a blog called Ms. Marquets Kitchen www.msmarquetskitchen.blogspot.com I am so very grateful that Danielle asked me to be a guest on her blog! She is an amazing woman always so full of joy, love, and laughter, she has ran her own restaurant, is in magazines, has her own cookbook, and has her beautiful blog to name a few! I have known Danielle since school days. My older sister and her were in the same class at our small Christian school and her sister Jenny & I were/are friends in the same class! Also, their dad was one of our science teacher! Fast forward to today and life has brought us all back together @ another Christian school, Danielle brings her son to preschool, Jenny is the Preschool teacher,  her kids go to the school, their Dad is the principal and my little man is in Pre-K there! Talk about a small world coming all back around. I was been so much fun reuniting with them and to open up that friendship again!

I have had a love for Baking & cooking since High School. My senior year in high school I hosted my first dinner party at my house before our tolo, homemade Mac & cheese, pork tenderloin, homemade pies, and more…I remember it was a task but I LOVED it! I have a love for entertaining and feeding people good food! I have been married for 5 years and my husband and I have our super funny, joyful, sweet, and handsome little boy Blake who is 4. It is so much fun having him help me in the kitchen,  teaching him to make special treats for others, and how to clean up the big mess we end up making(training him right for his future bride;))!

Today I am going to share with you an Apple-Cinnamon Cream Cheese Danish! It is so delicious, perfect warm or at room temperature and easily consumed in a day, without regrets of how many pieces you may or may not have consumed!

Apple-Cinnamon Cream Cheese Danish
Recipe from BHG Fall & Our Best Bites

Ingredients
1 17.3 ounce package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
2 tablespoons butter
7 cups thinly sliced apples (Granny Smith or a mix of Granny Smith & a sweet Red) about 6-7 apples
1 1/4  cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/4  teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1 egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
milk
2 tablespoons coarse sugar

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly grease a baking sheet.  On a lightly floured surface, unfold one pastry sheet and roll into a rectangle a little smaller than your baking sheet.   Transfer to the prepared baking pan, pressing pastry to edges of pan.  Bake about 12 minutes or until golden (pastry will puff ad shrink from sides of pan).  Cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, in an extra-large skillet heat butter over medium heat until melted.  Add apples; cook about 8 minutes or until apples are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.  In a small bowl combine 3/4  cup of the granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons flour, 3/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and a heaping 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg.  Sprinkle over apples.  Cook and stir over medium-low heat for 2 minutes more.  Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese and the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Beat in egg and vanilla just until combined.  Carefully spread cream cheese mixture over baked pastry to within 1 inch of the edges.  Spoon apple mixture ore cream cheese mixture (spooning is important you do not want all the juices or it will end up soggy, so try to leave most of the juice in the skillet, and just spoon it over some ice cream or something…YUM)!!!

On a lightly floured surface, unfold the remaining pastry sheet and roll into a 13×10-inch rectangle (make sure pastry is large enough to completely cover apple mixture ).  Place on top of apple mixture.  Lightly press edges of top pastry to edges of bottom pastry.  Lightly brush top pastry with milk.  Using a sharp knife, cut a few slits in pastry to allow steam to escape.  In a small bowl combine coarse sugar and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle over pastry.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until pastry is slightly puffed and golden.  Cool on wire rack about 45 minutes.  Serve slightly warm, or at room temp.  Store leftovers in an airtight container  in fridge for up to 24 hours.

Thank you again Danielle for the opportunity to guest blog and Thank you readers for you time today. Go out and bake this delicious fall pastry for breakfast/brunch this week!! Enjoy!