I seem to have fallen into a kindergarten rut. I have recipes I want to post on my blog at specific times for specific people but no way to connect that particular recipe to the story I want to tell. Hence the kindergarten themes! Sometimes you just have to work with what you’ve got. And what I’ve got is that Kelly likes blue! I can even make a connection to the previous post and say that Kelly’s engagement ring is a sapphire which is blue!

When Kelly was a toddler & preschooler, she only wore dresses in pink or purple. Once she started kindergarten, she outgrew pink and purple clothes and switched to preferring green. (The dress phase took a bit longer to outgrow.) Green was Eric’s favorite color and Kelly wanted to be like her daddy, so green was her favorite color. In first grade, Kelly realized that she didn’t really like green, she liked blue. Blue became her color and it still is, 20+ years later. She may not have always known blue was her favorite color, but there was never a doubt that she loved this blueberry danish!

Blueberry Danish  (adapted from Eating Well Magazine) Serves 12

Pastry

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling

• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, separated
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract or 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (thawed)
• 1 tablespoon water

Glaze

• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 2 – 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Pastry: In a food processor, puree the cottage cheese. Transfer the cottage cheese to the large bowl of a stand mixer and add in the sugar, milk, oil and vanilla. Blend them together until the dough is smooth. Add in the flour, baking powder and salt, mixing well.  It will be very sticky at this point. Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and chill for an hour.  (This can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days.)

Filling:  Blend the cream cheese with the sugar in the large bowl of a mixer until creamy. Blend in the egg yolk, lemon extract or zest & the vanilla. Preheat the oven to 400°.  Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit a large baking sheet. Place the pastry dough in the center of the parchment and cover it with plastic wrap. (You will avoid the mess of the sticky dough by rolling the dough between the parchment paper & the plastic wrap.) Roll the dough into a rectangle, measuring 12 x 16 inches.  Outline a rectangle in the center of the dough 3 1/4 inches in from the long sides and 1 inch in from the short sides, being careful not to cut all the way through the dough.

Spread the cream cheese mixture in the outlined rectangle, down the center of the dough.  Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the cream cheese.  Using a sharp knife, make 3-inch long cuts at 1 inch intervals along each side of dough at 45° angles to the filling.

Fold the 1 inch borders on the short sides of the dough up onto the filling then crisscross the side strips over the filling to create a braided effect. Carefully lift the paper with the danish on it to the baking sheet.  Blend the egg white with the water and brush it lightly over the pastry.

Bake the pastry for 20-25 minutes or until it is golden and firm.  Transfer it to a wire rack, still on the paper, and let it cool slightly.

Glaze: Combine the confectioners sugar and 2 teaspoons lemon juice until they are smooth.  Add more lemon juice if the glaze is too thick.  Drizzle the glaze over the danish. Store in an air tight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. Store the danish in the fridge to keep it fresh longer than 3 days.

Kelly is always thrilled when I make this for her!  ~Linda

Blueberry Danish  (adapted from Eating Well Magazine) Serves 12

Pastry

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling

• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, separated
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract or 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (thawed)
• 1 tablespoon water

Glaze

• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 2 – 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Pastry: In a food processor, puree the cottage cheese. Transfer the cottage cheese to the large bowl of a mixer and add in the sugar, milk, oil and vanilla. Blend them together until the dough is smooth. Add in the flour, baking powder and salt, mixing well.  It will be very sticky at this point. Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and chill for an hour.  (This can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days.)

Filling:  Blend the cream cheese with the sugar in the large bowl of a mixer until creamy. Blend in the egg yolk, lemon extract or zest & the vanilla.

Preheat oven to 400°.  Cut a piece of parchment to fit a large baking sheet. Place the pastry in the center of the parchment and cover it with plastic wrap. (You will avoid the mess of a sticky dough by rolling the dough between the parchment paper & the plastic wrap.) Roll the dough into a rectangle, measuring 12 x 16 inches.  Outline a rectangle on the center of the dough 3 1/4 inches in from the long sides and 1 inch in from the short sides. Spread the cream cheese mixture in the outlined rectangle, down the center of the dough.  Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the cream cheese.  Using a sharp knife, make 3-inch long cuts at 1 inch intervals along each side of dough at 45 degree angles to the filling.  Fold the 1 inch borders on the short sides of the dough up onto the filling then crisscross the side strips over the filling to create a braided effect.  Carefully lift the paper with the danish on it to the baking sheet.  Blend the egg white with the water and brush it lightly over the pastry.  Bake the pastry for 20-25 minutes or until it is golden and firm.  Transfer it to a wire rack, still on the paper, and let it cool slightly.

Glaze: Combine the confectioners sugar and 2 teaspoons lemon juice until they are smooth.  Add more lemon juice if glaze is too thick.  Drizzle the glaze over the danish. Store in an air tight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. Store the danish in the fridge to keep it fresh longer than 3 days.