Recipe of the Month from Raspberry Danish Murder by Joanne Fluke

Who can resist a delicious fresh baked Raspberry Danish—topped with a Hannah Swensen cozy mystery?  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Joanne Fluke, the Queen of Culinary Mystery, returns to Lake Eden during Thanksgiving.  But it isn’t all happiness for newlywed Hannah Swensen Barton—not after her husband suddenly disappears.

Raspberry Danish

DO NOT preheat your oven yet.  You must do some preparation first.

Pastry:

One 17.5-ounce package frozen puff pastry dough (I used Pepperidge Farm with 2 sheets of pastry)
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon water
White (granulated) sugar to sprinkle on top

Raspberry Sauce:

3/4 cup fresh raspberries (frozen is fine if thawed and patted dry)
2 Tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (or cinnamon)
1 and 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup white (granulated) sugar

Cream Cheese Filling:

8-ounce package brick cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup white (granulated) sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Thaw both sheets of puff pastry on a floured surface according to package directions.

• In a medium-size saucepan, combine the raspberries with the water.

• Combine cardamom, cornstarch, and sugar in a bowl.  Stir until mixed.  Add to the saucepan and stir in thoroughly.

• Cook on MEDIUM HIGH, stirring constantly, until sauce reaches a full boil.  Continue stirring for 2 minutes, then move to a cold burner to cool.

• Combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl.  Beat until smooth.  Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

• Unfold a thawed sheet of pastry and roll it into a 12-inch square.

• Use a sharp knife to make one horizontal cut through the middle and one vertical cut through the middle to make 4 pieces.

• Whisk the egg with the water for egg wash.

• Transfer one square of pastry to a prepared cookie sheet.

• Use a pastry brush to paint a 1/2 inch wide border of egg wash around the outer edges of the pastry square.

• Place 1/4 cup cream cheese filling in the center of the square and spread it out evenly to within 1/2 inch of the edges.

• Spread up to 2 Tablespoons of the raspberry sauce over the cream cheese.

• Pick up one corner of the square and pull it over the middle to cover just a bit more than half of the filling.  Then pick up the opposite corner and pull it to overlap the first corner.  Gently press on the overlapping corners to seal.

• Repeat the above steps with both sheets of puff pastry.

• Brush the tops of the pastries with egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar.  Bake at 375 degrees F. for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

• Remove the baking sheets to wire racks to cool.

• Yield: 8 Raspberry Danish that are delicious served warm or cold.  ENJOY!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

JOANNE FLUKE is the New York Times bestselling author of the Hannah Swensen mysteries, which include Wedding Cake Murder, Double Fudge Brownie Murder, Blackberry Pie Murder, and the book that started it all, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder. That first installment premiered as Murder, She Baked:  A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel, and has since been followed by three more TV movie adaptations (and counting!) based on the series and starring Alison Sweeney. Like Hannah Swensen, Joanne Fluke was born and raised in a small town in rural Minnesota, but now lives in Southern California.

Visit Joanne online: www.JoanneFluke.com

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