Raspberry Linzer Cheese Danish

I've been in the habit of searching for new recipes and experimenting in the kitchen.  Currently, I'm on a breakfast foods kick.  I could say that it's because Drew has a tendency to get stuck in a rut with breakfast, eating the same thing every morning for a month or two and then never wanting anything to do with it for another six or more.  I could pretend that it's about being a thoughtful, loving wife.  But that would be a lie.  I need to win.  No, I need to CRUSH all competition.  BLOW them out of the water.  EMBARRASS them with their novice attempts at baked goods and bow down and worship me, goddess of sugar and butter.  Okay, maybe not that bad.

See, I've got this class coming up next month.  Each person signs up for a day to bring "snack."  It was suggested that you bring in a box of doughnuts, maybe some juice.  Then one of the facilitators casually said, "I've made quiche and scones, but you don't have to be that fancy."  Then there was murmuring about her food and how great it was.  After the murmuring died down, another facilitator chuckled, "Yeah, there was a little bit of competition going on last year." 

My ears perk up.  Food making?  Competition?  I MUST WIN.  My eyes bug out at my friend sitting next to me, who knows I bake and was part of the same class last year.  She also knows that I have a complex about being the best at everything.  Without missing a beat, she whispers, "Don't worry, you'll win."  I smile to myself, but quickly mouth something that should have come across humble.  That's what I was trying to fake anyway.  She knows better.

Later that class, I meet with my mentor, who happens to be the aforementioned competitive scone and quiche lady.  I learn that not only does she have an agent for her food memoir book, but she used to own a restaurant.  Crap.  This should have busted my crazy competitive bubble, right?  No, of course it just makes me work harder to find a kick-butt recipe or two to wow everyone.  I contemplate signing up for more snack days.  I mentally run through how I might bribe someone to give me their snack day too - maybe one of those people who think that an acceptable edible is something that has been sitting on a supermarket shelf for three weeks and is packed so full of preservatives that it wouldn't decompose in my backyard compost pile in less than a decade.  Drew had the common sense to point out that I'm a tad bit crazy, so I'm scaling it back.  But I think I found the Golden Recipe.  I may go broke buying the ingredients to make several dozen of these, but by golly, I'll win!

Raspberry Linzer Cheese Danish

recipe from Rachael Ray

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup marzipan or almond paste
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1 large egg, separated
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed and refrigerated
• 4 teaspoons raspberry jam
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1 - 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees . Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and marzipan at high speed for 1 minute. Beat in 1/4 cup confectioners sugar. Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla and salt.
2. Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll out to form a 10-inch square; cut into 4 equal squares and place on the prepared baking sheet. Dollop the cream cheese mixture evenly in the center of each square; top with 1 teaspoon jam. In a small bowl, beat the egg white with a fork, then lightly brush some of it onto the pastry. Lift 2 opposite corners of each pastry and cross over the center, overlapping slightly; pinch to seal. Brush the tops with more egg white and sprinkle with the almonds. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
3. In a small bowl, stir the remaining 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and the heavy cream with a fork until smooth; drizzle over the cooled pastries.