Cinnamon Fig Cheese Danish With Grand Marnier Drizzle

Ingredients

Ingredients For Fig Filling

2 C fresh figs (chopped with hand chopper)

1/4 C brown sugar (I preferred dark with this but you can use light)

1/4 C water

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tbsp. Grand Marnier

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Ingredients For Cheese Danish (Adapted from Anne Burrell on Food Network)

3/4 C mascarpone cheese

1/4 C cream cheese

1 egg yolk plus 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp. of water

1/4 heaping C of sugar

2 tbsp flour plus extra for rolling out dough

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 sheet of store bought puff pastry dough, thawed

Ingredients For Grand Marnier Drizzle

1/2 C powdered sugar

1 tbsp. Grand Marnier

1/2 to 1 tbsp. milk (I used 1/2 and 1/2 cream)

Preparation

Directions For Fig Filling

Add all ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat.

Bring to a boil

Then turn down to medium low and simmer until thickened, for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Allow to cool to room temperature.

You will have some leftover as you only need 4 to 6 ounces for the cheese danish.

Refrigerate leftovers and enjoy over ice cream or on a biscuit!

Directions For Pastry

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine cheeses, egg yolk, sugar, flour, and vanilla. set aside.

Dust puff pastry with flour and roll to flatten and smooth.

Place pastry on sheet tray (I found that a dark coated pan worked best to brown the bottom enough.)

Spread cheese lengthwise down the middle of pastry into a 3 inch wide strip.

Spoon 4 to 6 ounces of fig filling on top of cheese.

Using sharp kitchen shears cut the long side of the pastry into 1 inch strips.

Cut towards the cheese filling but stop about 1 inch before you get to the filling.

Alternating sides fold 1 piece of the dough at a time over the cheese and fig mixture.

The result will look like a braided pastry with cheese and filling peeking through.

Brush the dough with the beaten egg.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool slightly before adding glaze.

Directions For Glaze

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Drizzle over warm pastry.

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About

I know it's time to move on from figs, peaches, and melons and onto butternut squash, pumpkin, and cranberries. But as long as the tranquil summer breezes are blowing and tender fresh summer produce is still available there are a few more dishes I must squeeze in before my official fall transformation.

I've been wanting to do more with puff pastry. I've never made a cheese danish before. And I thought cinnamon and fig sounded delicious in the filling. It seemed like the naked braided pastry needed a coating to make it complete and orange is a terrific pairing with figs.

This danish is creamy, spicy, sweet, and the pastry is flaky and light. Enjoy it as a late morning treat with a cup of cinnamon Hazelnut coffee or with a glass of Star Tree 2010 Nouveau Blanc, a South African natural sweet white wine.