Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Mango-Lemon Drop Sunshine Puffs

Image: Pillsbury Bake-OffCakeSpy Note: I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I have been invited as a media guest to the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, Florida! The event will take place in late March; til then, I am going to feature several of the sweets finalists here in anticipation of the big day!

Starting alphabetically, the first entry for something sweet is this delectable-looking one, for Mango-Lemon Drop Sunshine Puffs. As entrant Amber Schofield of Athens, Alabama says, "Bake pockets of sweet and citrusy cream cheese in sweet crescent puffs. What a great morning treat!"

Mango-Lemon Drop Sunshine Puffs

Makes 16 rolls

• 1package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/3cup powdered sugar
• 2tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/8teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1cup flaked coconut
• 1can Pillsbury® Big & Buttery refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
• 2/3cup Hershey’s® premier white baking chips
• 1/3cup Smucker's® Mango Jam or Sweet Orange Marmalade

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. In small bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in lemon juice on low speed. Stir in lemon peel and coconut until well mixed. Set aside.
3. Unroll crescent dough onto ungreased cookie sheet; separate into 4 rectangles.
4. Firmly press perforations to seal. Cut each rectangle into 8 squares. Place 16 of the squares 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
5. Spoon heaping teaspoon of cream cheese mixture in center of each square. Top cream cheese mixture with remaining dough squares, placing each of the squares at an angle so points of the square hang over the middles of the sides of the bottom square to look like shape of the sun. Press edges of dough around cream cheese mixture to seal.
6. Bake 9 to 14 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, melt white chips and mango jam, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. Spread glaze over rolls. Serve warm.