Easy Raspberry Cream Cheese Danish Braid

In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together. Stir in yogurt and knead for about a minute, until a smooth dough is formed.

On a floured surface, roll dough into an 20 x 30 cm rectangle. Spread ⅓ of the butter over the dough. Fold the dough in thirds, like a letter, so that the dough is in 3 layers. Cover and place in the fridge to chill for a minimum of 30 minutes. Repeat this rolling, buttering, and folding 2 more times chilling for 30 minutes in between. Then wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, and egg yolk together on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Let filling cool in the refrigerator while rolling out the danish dough.

Place two racks equal distance apart in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375°F.

Roll out your dough to make a 12x6 inch rectangle. Use a light dusting of flour to help the dough along. Roll it out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Cut off two corners of the dough and then two small triangles at the other end. Spread 1/2 of the cream cheese filling and then top with 1/2 of the fruit spread down the length of the center of the strip. Cut slanting strips 3/4 inch - 1 inch wide along both sides. Fold the bottom end up to "seal" the filling in. Repeat with the second half of the dough and the rest of the filling.

Bake braids for 15 - 18 minutes or until the tops become lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

Prepare the glaze by whisking all of the ingredients together. After 10 minutes of cooling, drizzle the braids with glaze and serve immediately.

Note: Instead of making the pastry by hand you can replace it with an equivalent weight of canned Pilsbury Crescent Rolls dough.