I have fond memories of going to the local bakery as a child and eating danishes. I would eat one jelly danish before we even left the bakery and then I would polish off a cream cheese danish on the car ride home.
When you’re a kid and play sports seven days a week you can polish off danishes like it’s your job. I wish I could get that job again.
And in high school and college, I could do some major damage on Entenmann’s danishes and crumb cakes. With danishes, I love the filling that’s encased within layers of dough and the density and heaviness.
I don’t go for light and airy desserts. I go for thick, dense, heavy slabs. The kind of heavy tonnage that makes you wonder how on earth an 8-by-8-inch baking pan weighs 14 pounds as you’re hoisting it into the oven.
Butter, sugar, cream cheese, jelly, and dough will do that.
But it’s the crust that really sold me on this one and normally I avoid crust. It’s usually boring and dry.
Since I just made mango and streuesel-topped muffins and cinnamon bun crumble-topped pie, I wanted to mix it up with this one and make a solid layer of crust that’s as flavorful as a crumble topping, while avoiding any blandness or dryness.
The resulting crust is a solid wall of butter, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. The best kind of wall, and it’ definitely not boring, bland, or dry.
In each bite there’s a little cream cheese and a little jelly, and there’s softness and squishy tenderness.
And then there’s the robustly flavored cinnamon and sugar crust, which is a little bit crunchy and the perfect contrast to the soft filling.
The best part of these is that they’re easy and use a shortcut.
It’s called a can of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls.
I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be playing with my daughter, outside enjoying the fresh air, organizing my sock drawer, or doing just about anything other than making and rolling out pastry dough.
I’m all about baking and I like a good project and challenge, and I have the utmost respect for Christina Tosi who appears to enjoy making things as complicated as multi-staged as possibly, but I just don’t have the time and energy. Hello, shortcut.
I’m all about the shortest distance between two points.
Those points would be me and a bite of this.
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Cinnamon-Sugar Crust Cream Cheese and Jelly Danish Squares
Ingredients
- 1 can refrigerated crescent rolls, 8-count (I used Pillsbury Original)
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened (I used Trader Joe’s Whipped Light)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup jelly or jam, I used a raspberry preserves and strawberry jelly combination
- ¼ cup unsatled butter, melted (half of one stick)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F, line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- Open the can of crescent rolls and carefully unfold and unwrap them onto counter top or flat work surface. Take half the dough (4 triangles) and line bottom of prepared pan like a big blanket. Use your fingers to massage dough into corners and squeeze together large seams or gaps. It doesn’t have to be perfect but seal gaps as best you can.
- In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, vanilla, and stir vigorously until combined. Pour mixture over the crescent rolls. Add jelly over the top of the cream cheese layer by drizzling it or picking up large chunks with your fingers and dropping over the cream cheese. Try to create a zig-zag pattern or disperse the jelly evenly over the pan. Top with the remaining crescent roll dough (4 triangles). Use your fingers to massage dough into corners and squeeze together large seams or gaps. It doesn’t have to be perfect but seal gaps as best you can.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl (the same bowl the cream cheese was in is fine), add the butter and melt it, about 60 to 90 seconds on high power. Pour the melted butter over the dough.
- In a small bowl (same one is fine), combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and stir. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top of the buttered dough. Bake for 37 to 41 minutes, or until dough has puffed, browned, butter is boiling, and edges show signs of barely browning. There will likely be a pool of butter in places; this is fine, normal, and it will soak in as danish cools. Do not allow the pooled butter to fool you into thinking these aren’t done enough. Allow danish to cool on the counter for 1 hour. Then place pan in the refrigerator to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving (I chill them overnight). If you do not refrigerate them before slicing, you will have a mess and will not get clean cuts. Store extra danish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If desired, heat for a few seconds in the microwave before serving but I like to serve these chilled or let them come to room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Creamy Mixed Berry Crumble Bars – Cream cheese and berries, you’d think very similar to the danish with cream cheese and jelly, but in reality very different tasting
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These look absolutely amazing!!
thanks Jenn!
I loved Entenmanns too! I haven’t had one of those pastries in ages but it reminds me of going to our cabin. My dad always picked one up to take with us! So darn good. This looks delicious, Averie!
And I just ran past a big Entenmann’s delivery truck this morning past a local grocery store…made me hungry!
Hello Averie – I just found your blog yesterday, and I am obsessed! So amazing!
So…you’re going to think I’m weird, but a little background. Many moons ago when I broke up with my boyfriend, I baked him a cake to “soften the blow” so to speak (and it was a dang GOOD cake might I add!). Along these lines, I was thinking of doing the same tomorrow for my bosses (very laid back work environment) when I give my one month’s notice (got into grad school!!).
I settled on your smores bars, with a few adjustments – 1) I’m not a big cereal eater so did not want to go buy the krispies, so I did it with shredded coconut instead. 2) I only had natural pb, so used that.
Averie, ooooh. myyyyy. goooodess. These bars are the best thing I have ever had in my whole entire life. Wow! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. One question though – How ever am I going to hold back from eating the entire pan before my staff meeting tomorrow?!?!
Thanks for finding me and for the great comment! I think you’re the only (nicest!) person in the world to bake her almost ex-BF a cake when breaking up with him!
Glad the smores bars were a hit. Good thinking on the coconut flakes! Good luck on saving them for Monday :)
I have never really been a danish fan. Normally like pancakes for breakfast. But these sound amazing, my dad loves danishes I will have to make these for him next time I am home!
And congrats again on the new blog!
I love a good shortcut! These look incredible! Wish I could go back to those high school days were I could eat everything! Somehow time has caught up with me :(
with us all I think!
Averie, you can just SEE the moist, buttery softness of the crust. I am a new fan of using crescent rolls in baked goods – they are really the most convenient shortcut ingredient! And those E danishes… oh man, I can NOT get enough of them. I don’t eat them much anymore for some reason, but I would love to remake a homemade version just like them. I love raspberry danishes the most, so your choice of preserves in these guys has me nearly drooling over my keyboard. And you weren’t kidding when you told me your next recipe would be heavily dusted with a cinny-sugar mixture! I truly love everything about these and MUST remake them.
Sidenote: I’ve never baked with whipped cream cheese. I have a CC recipe coming up soon and I used regular light cream cheese. I guess it depends on the recipe if whipped would work as an alternative. It sure worked in these!
It’s too funny that you posted about Entenmann’s & cinnamon sugar b/c I knew I had this post waiting. I was going to post it last week but it got bumped for homemade PB & the giveaway and we were definitely on the same wavelength!
Whipped vs. just regular softened cream cheese (either fullfat or light) – I honestly don’t find much of a difference b/c in all the cream cheese baking I do, I want it softened and then I mix, beat, or whip it with something anyway. And the whipped sort of saves me a step and makes the job easier. If I combine it with a can of sweetened cond milk like I do in lots of bars or a recipe like this, it just spreads easier and is easier to work with, without have to drag out a mixer.
Thank goodness for shortcuts! I use ’em all the time – usually in crusts (pizzas, pies, etc.) and other stuff that requires that type of foundation. Although this crust you’ve made sounds delicious and easy.. I’d like to build the walls of my home with it, please. Can you write a recipe for that? ;)
I know, I’d love these kind of walls around the house, to :)
My childhood bakery memories are mostly of the Canadian institution Tim Horton’s. My dad used to take my brother and I for a bike ride on a Sunday morning while my mom slept in, and we’d have a pitstop at Timmies. I’d have a colourful sprinkled donut and a chocolate milk. Definitely good memories!
I don’t poo poo shortcuts!
Our neighbor owns many Tim Horton’s in Canada and I’ve been able to try lots of their stuff…so good!
Mmm, I’ve made these before, minus the jelly BUT the jelly sounds like a wonderful addition! Jelly plus cream cheese and brown sugar + cinnamon equals SO DELICIOUS. And I totally wish I had my kid job back as eating a bag of Circus animal cookies clean to the crumbs and enjoying milkshakes like nobody’s business.
frosted animal crackers…now there’s a childhood memory! Loved those things!
perfect with my espresso right now!
I’m still thinking about your stuffed cookies :)
Yum! I love danish but haven’t had it in years and have never made it. I respect a good shortcut, but personally I love making everything from scratch. Of course as my life changes that too may change.
so clever! i love the crust idea, and i am not a huge crust fan as well. baking shortcuts are the way to go!
Sweet deliciousness! I totally miss being a kid and being able to eat it all too. I was the sugar cookie QUEEN! Yummy recipe.
Oh boy! These look so sweet and delicious! Love it!
Looks so good! I love danishes too! I would love having a that job as well! How WOULDN`T?! ;)
I hear you on the short cuts, they usually do wonders for the end results with my cooking!!! These look so good.