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Quick and easy bakery-style danishes made with soft Hawaiian rolls filled with a smooth cream cheese mixture and topped with cherry pie filling, perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 Hawaiian sweet rolls
  • 8-ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar (for cream cheese filling)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or almond extract for variation)
  • 12-ounce can cherry pie filling
  • ½ cup melted butter (salted or unsalted)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (for icing)
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (for icing)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. Arrange 12 Hawaiian sweet rolls in a 9×13-inch baking dish or line a pan with parchment paper.
  3. Carefully carve a small shallow square out of the center of each roll without cutting through the bottom.
  4. In a medium bowl, beat together softened cream cheese, ¼ cup powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.
  5. Spoon a generous dollop of the cream cheese mixture into each roll’s well.
  6. Top each cream cheese-filled roll with a spoonful of cherry pie filling.
  7. Stir together ½ cup melted butter and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a small bowl.
  8. Brush the butter-sugar mixture over the tops and into the seams of each roll with a pastry brush.
  9. Place the pan on the middle oven rack and bake for 6–8 minutes, until tops are lightly golden and rolls are warmed through.
  10. While rolls bake, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth and pourable, adjusting thickness as needed.
  11. Remove danishes from oven and drizzle the icing over them while still warm.

Notes

Ensure cream cheese is softened to room temperature for smooth filling without lumps., Do not cut through the bottom of the rolls when carving the well., Be generous when brushing butter-sugar glaze for a golden crust., Avoid overfilling wells to prevent spillage during baking., Adjust icing consistency by adding more powdered sugar or milk as needed., To reduce sweetness, omit or reduce butter/sugar glaze and icing drizzle., Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat in microwave or oven as described., Assemble unbaked danishes up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate, bringing to room temperature before baking., Freezing not recommended due to texture loss of rolls.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://gingerbaking.com/hawaiian-roll-cherry-danishes/