Raspberry Cream Cheese Pastry

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small saucepan. Add 1 cup of raspberries and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally and using a spoon to mash the berries, until they break down and the sauce thickens, approximately 4 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized bowl and let it cool, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, heavy cream, orange zest, cardamom, and almond extract using an electric mixer on medium speed until it reaches a smooth consistency, about 1 minute. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Place a puff pastry sheet on a piece of parchment paper that has been lightly dusted with flour. Roll the pastry into a 12x9-inch rectangle shape. Cut 10 to 12 long, thin strips on each side, about 1 inch apart, leaving a 3-inch border in the middle without any cuts. Spread half a cup of cream cheese mixture onto the uncovered center section of pastry, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges.

Add three tablespoons of raspberry mixture on top of the cream cheese layer, spreading it gently over the previous layer. Sprinkle with half a cup of raspberries.

In another bowl, whisk together egg and water to create an egg wash. Brush the exposed pastry lightly with the egg mixture. Fold the strips over the filling, alternating each side to resemble a twist or braid pattern. Fold the bottom ends up to seal the filling inside, repeating with the remaining pastry sheet and the rest of the filling. Brush the outside of each pastry with egg wash.

Transfer the pastries, on parchment paper, to separate baking sheets. Freeze them until they become firm, about 1 hour. To make ahead, wrap the Danish in parchment paper and then plastic wrap, freezing up to 1 month.

While the pastries freeze, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) with racks in the upper and lower third of the oven.

Bake the pastries in the preheated oven until they turn golden brown and puffed, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, taking about 30 to 35 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheets for 30 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining 5 tablespoons of cream and 3/4 cup of powdered sugar. Drizzle over the Danish and sprinkle with sliced almonds.