These individual sized cranberry apple butter danishes as so delicious and not-too-sweet. Serve them with or without the icing sugar, or even add a glaze if you prefer to get that shiny outer finish.
Remove the prepared, chilled croissant dough from the refrigerator, and roll out on a lightly floured work surface into a 9x9-inch square. Cut 6 equal-sized pieces.
The pieces may shrink back a little bit after you roll them, so before you form each danish, you should re-roll each piece, to make them a little wider. I would aim for about 4x4.5-inch rectangles, for the best results.
Using a sharp knife, cut little slits about 1/2-inch wide all the way down each side of the mini-rectangle (about 10 each side), cutting in about 1-inch deep, and slanting them in opposite directions (pointing down on both sides).
Spread about 2 Tbsp. of the cranberry apple butter down the centre strip of each danish.
Fold the top lip of the dough down over the filling, and begin "braiding" the cut pieces over each other, alternating sides, just until the apple butter is covered and the seams are concealed beneath the next strip of dough.
When you get the end of the braid, before you fold in the last four strips, fold up the bottom piece to seal in the apple butter, and then wrap the top two pieces over that and underneath to hold it in place. Tuck the final two pieces of dough underneath the whole pastry to seal it shut.
Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
Lay the finished danishes onto a large, parchment lined or ungreased baking sheet and cover loosely with a tea towel to rise. Allow to rest at least 1-3 hours, or until puffy (or at most, doubled in bulk).
Note: The rising time will vary, depending on the temperature of your house.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and brush the risen danishes with your egg and water mixture. Sprinkle with almonds.
Bake 20-25 minutes, or until puffy and golden. Cool on wire racks. Sprinkle if icing sugar if desired, and decorate with fresh cranberries and rosemary, to serve.
Note: I did not use icing sugar in these pictures.
RECIPES FOR THE DOUGH AND THE FILLING: