Princess Cherry Cream Cheese Crescent Braid - With a Special Cherry Hint!

When I found this recipe several years ago and saw the words "cherry cream cheese"  in the same title, I was a gonner.

Then upon reading further, saw it had Crescent Rolls as the braid, and that's all she wrote.

 I fell Hook-line-and-sinker. 

Oh and pretty....my gosh this little Princess is so pretty!

1 (8 ounce) can Pillsbury Crescent Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
1/3 c. cream cheese (from an 8 ounce tub) room temperature
1/3 heaping cup cherry preserves

GLAZE:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
3 teaspoons milk
1/4 tsp. almond extract

Heat oven to 375.

Unroll Crescent dough onto a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with Pam.

Pinch together all the little perforations until you create one rectangle.

Pinch Pinch Pinch.

See my little pinch marks:

Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature.  Make it easier to spread that way.

Scoop out 1/3 cup and with the back of your spoon, spread down the middle of your rectangle, leaving about 2 inches on each side free of cream cheese. I like to swirl my cream cheese, don't ask me why, cause no one sees it.

Now scoop out 1/3 heaping cup of the cherry preserves and spread over the cream cheese.

HINT: Cherry Preserves are wonderful.  So many uses besides just on toast. 

For a special dessert in a pinch, I like to take a scoop of Cherry Preserves and place in a bowl and microwave for about 15 seconds.  Then pour the warm cherry goo over vanilla or chocolate ice cream, or even pour over pancakes or waffles.  Love this stuff!  Plus I think it's not as sickening sweet as the canned cherry pie filling.

Ok, now that your cherries and cream cheese have been spread out, make slices, an inch apart on the sides of the rectangle, cutting just to the edge of the filling.

Take the little strips and start folding over the filling, like you are braiding.  Criss cross, criss cross, folding the strips at an angle, slightly overlapping the ends, making a little bundle of cherry cream cheese, fit for a princess.

Oh my stars, look at the cherry cream cheese just waiting to be all melted together.

Pop this little princess in the preheated oven for about 18 to 22 minutes.  Keep watching after about 18 minutes. Depending on your oven, this time could vary.  That's what the oven light is for, so keep checking.

Should look something like this when finished. 

Ain't she so purty?

Now I know what you're thinking.  But don't do it.

We aren't finished yet.

Let the little cherry princess rest a few minutes on the cookie sheet.  She needs to cool off a bit - so while she's cooling off, let's make the glaze.

In a bowl, combine your powered sugar, almond extract and milk.  Mix together really well, using the back of your spoon to mash up all the little lumps.  Add more milk if it appears to be too thick.

After about 15 minutes of the princess cooling off, gently slide her off, onto your pretty little serving plate.

Now is time to drizzle that glaze, all over the top.

Oh what a Princess she is.

What are you waiting for?

Dig in!