School is literally just around the corner. Our babies are now college students, but oh how I really do miss back~to~school~shopping with them. It was tradition. Joj and I would shop, then lunch, his choice. Ty and I, same thing. It was great “mom~son” bonding time (we still do lunch dates however!). And very rarely were there meltdowns. Until this mom had to check out. And wait. And wait. And wait. They were the easiest, funnest shopping buddies a mom could hope for. I often wonder how it would be with girls? I am guessing the same? So, to get you all into the “homework” mode, today’s blog comes to you with a little history lesson.
Some of my roots go back to Denmark. My sweet adorable grams (or bedstemor in danish) and great~aunt were Danish. They would argue in their mother tongue. No idea what they were saying, but those two sisters were just an absolute hoot! Sometimes, we could decipher a few words here and there (we think some were curse words but no one knows for sure…but the cute smirk on my grams face led us to believe that’s what was going on). I always wanted to learn The Lord’s Prayer in Danish. My great~aunt Pearl said it…and beautifully. She is no longer here to teach me, but that would have been a beautiful thing to pass on to our boys. There are only a few words and phrases I know…and I share them with the beloved, amazing matriarch of our family…my Aunt Jan, or as I lovingly refer to her…my Tante (‘Tanta’~aunt), and I her Min Pige (‘Min Pee’~my girl). There’s something about family traditions that just warms my heart immensely. Ok, so on to the history lesson:
(my Tante and Bedstemor)
This beloved pastry did not originate from Denmark. Really? Really. In the 1850’s, Danish pastry workers went on a wage strike, forcing Danish bakeries to hire workers from abroad, mostly from Austrian bakers. There’s a bit of science that goes along with this, but I will spare you the misery of that…because I do not like science. So there you have it…the short version of the birth of what we call “danish”. This was going to be the end of my “story/blog”, but it’s not. Sorry? Keep reading…the next “chapter” delves into some of the yumminess of my danish recipe. I can’t not include it. Grab a cup of tea…and danish…and more tea…
Danish is one of my many favorite morning treats. Joe and I would always have danish with our coffee and tea on the weekends. We would always pick up a danish at our local supermarket, until the prices started getting ridiculous. I love danish, but at $5.99? No thank you. That’s a bit steep…regardless of how delicious it is. And I knew I could whip one up for far less than that crazy price. What I did not know however, was how ridiculously easy it is to make (aside from making the dough from scratch). All of these years spending all of that money on danish, when I could have spent it on something sensible. Like a lovely pair of shoes…or earrings…or both for instance. But it is what it is I suppose. So this danish came together by basically throwing in ingredients I thought would taste great together. I mostly cook “to taste” so I kept tasting until it reached the perfect “tastiness” on my palate. I am certain you will fall in love with the easiness of this recipe, along with the creamy, sweet, lemony filling and the delicious flaky crust, all nestled in a delicious glaze! Enjoy friends!
Sláinte! (or skål as the Danish say)!
(My Tante and I)
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 8-10 Slices10 | 10 Minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 15-20 Minutes |
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You can whip this danish up in no time at all, and you will love the tangy, sweet, creamy, lemony filling surrounded by a delicious flaky crust!
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- 1 8 ounce tube crescent rolls
- 8 ounces light cream cheese (regular is fine also)
- 2 Tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Penzey's pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon greek yogurt (or sour cream)
- 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Penzey's pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon milk (we used 2 %)
- 1/4 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Unroll crescent rolls, but do NOT separate. Place onto wax or parchment paper and pinch any seams together (it should be shaped like a rectangle).
- Score edges of dough into equal strips at an angle on both sides, leaving about 3-4 inches in the middle for filling.
- In medium bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and yogurt with hand mixer until well combined.
- Spoon filling down center of dough. Fold up the bottom piece, then, from the top, begin braiding, bringing one strip from one side to the other, continue with each strip making a criss~cross pattern along the top (it will not look beautiful at this point, but will be perfect when it is finished baking).
- Gently place on foil~line cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown on top. With the foil, place on cooling rack.
- While danish is cooling, in small bowl, mix together powdered sugar, vanilla, milk and lemon juice. Whisk until no clumps.
- In a baggie, pour glaze and snip the end. Glaze as desired.
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