Cherry and Cream Cheese Turnovers with Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze

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Ingredients:

Turnovers
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed but try to keep chilled (chilled pastry puffs better)
about 2 tablespoons softened cream cheese, divided (lite okay; I used 1/2 tablespoon for each danish)
about 8 tablespoons cherry preserves or jam, divided (or your favorite flavor; I used 2 tablespoons for each danish)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
about 8 teaspoons turbinado or coarse sugar for sprinkling, divided

Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze (optional but recommended)
2 tablespoons softened cream cheese, (lite okay)
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, or as necessary to achieve desired glaze consistency
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
splash cream or milk, as necessary to achieve desired glaze consistency

Directions:

  1. Try to work quickly through the recipe because chilled puff pastry puffs better when baked (like chilled pie dough), and the less you handle it, the better. Preheat oven to 4ooF, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray; set aside.
  2. Turnovers - On a clean counter or work surface, unroll puff pastry and slice with a pizza cutter into four, evenly-sized squares.
  3. In the center of each square, add the cream cheese, spreading it out just slightly with a table knife.
  4. On top of the cream cheese, add the preserves, spreading it out just slightly with the knife.
  5. Fold each square in half diagonally to create triangles.
  6. Seal all edges with a fork by crimping them. Make sure to crimp very well, going up and back over the seams a few times because if preserves leak while baking, it burns quickly.
  7. Crack the egg in a small bowl and beat it lightly with a fork (crimping fork is okay).
  8. Evenly brush all the turnovers with the eggwash; discard remainder.
  9. Evenly and generously sprinkle the tops of all the turnovers with turbinado sugar.
  10. Bake for about 15 to 19 minutes, or until puffed, lightly golden, and pastry looks done and set. Allow turnovers to cool on baking tray for 5 to 10 minutes before moving. While turnovers bake, make the glaze.
  11. Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze - In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except the cream and whisk until smooth and combined.
  12. As necessary, whisk in cream until desired glazed consistency is reached. If you accidentally add too much, add a bit more sugar.
  13. Evenly drizzle glaze over the turnovers noting that if the turnovers are still quite warm, the glaze will melt into them. Serve immediately. Turnovers are best warm and fresh, but will keep airtight for up to 4 days.