Cheese and Cherry Danishes

8 ounces pot cheese or cream cheese (at room temperature)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent roll dough
3/4 of 21 ounce can cherry pie filling
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Stir together cheese, sugar, flour, lemon rind, lemon juice and vanilla extract in a medium-size bowl with a wooden spoon until well blended and smooth. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Unroll 1 package of dough and separate dough into 4 rectangles. On a lightly floured work surface, cut each rectangle crosswise in half to make 2 squares from each rectangle. Pinch together any perforations or holes in dough. Then stretch the 2 opposite corners of each square slightly to lengthen the dough and form the flaps that will enclose the filling. Then transfer to ungreased baking sheet.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of cheese filling diagonally onto center of each square, at a right angle to stretched corners. Top with about 1 tablespoon cherry pie filling. Fold one of the flaps across mixture. Fold other flap across, overlapping first flap. Brush each Danish with egg and water mixture. Sprinkle with some of the almonds. Continue making more Danishes with remaining crescent roll dough, cheese filling and cherry pie filling, including the second package of dough. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden. Remove to wire rack to cool.