A trip to the bakery can be an expensive outing. Are you having friends over or need to bring something to a party? Chocolate and cream cheese danish pastries can easily cost $3.25 each. A box of these 8 danish will cost you $26. Making the same pastries at home will cost you less than $8. And best of all they are quick to prepare and fairly easy. Sugar, vanilla, and eggs are staples most home bakers already have on hand. You might only need to run out for a few items. The puff pastry typically costs $4. I never seem to find puff pastry on sale in my area. I found the cream cheese on sale for $1.99. The great thing about cream cheese is the shelf life. You can buy it in advance when it is on sale. The chocolate chips were on sale for $2 and you will only need half of the bag.

Chocolate and Cream Cheese Danish Recipe
Makes 8 pastries

Ingredients:

One box of thawed puff pastry (they are typically 17 oz. with 2 sheets of puff pastry)
8 oz. of cream cheese softened
1 tablespoon of melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk and an additional egg
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and grease with cooking spray.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese with the egg yolk, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 4 squares, giving you 8 squares total.
6. Spoon the cream cheese into the center of each puff pastry square.
7. Fold over each square, using water on the edges of the dough to seal, you can make them triangles or rectangles depending on what works for you.
8. Pinch the sides closed.
9. Place on the cookie sheet.
10. Beat the additional egg and using a pastry brush, brush on the pastries.
11. Bake for 20 minutes.
12. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
13. Serve and store any left overs in the refrigerator.

Enjoy and sweeten the soul with chocolate.