Ham and Cheese Danish

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Unfold pastry onto a lightly floured work surface; sprinkle pastry lightly with flour. Trim pastry edges to form a 12- x 9-inch rectangle; discard scraps. Cut dough into 12 (2- x 4 1/2-inch) pieces. Arrange dough pieces in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Whisk together egg and water in a small bowl; brush evenly over tops of pastry pieces. Sprinkle tops evenly with sugar. Chill in freezer 15 minutes.

Transfer baking sheet to preheated oven; bake until pastry pieces are puffed and golden, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, process cheese in a food processor until cheese starts to clump together, about 1 minute. Place cream in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high. Immediately remove from heat; let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Pour cream into a small liquid measuring cup; with food processor running, carefully and slowly pour hot cream onto cheese, processing until cheese is fully melted and mixture is incorporated, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl; refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a spreadable consistency, about 45 minutes. (Alternatively, let mixture cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Then freeze, stirring occasionally, until spreadable, about 20 minutes.)

Microwave honey in a small microwavable bowl on HIGH until hot and runny, about 20 seconds. Stir in pepper. Spread cheese mixture evenly onto pastry pieces (about 1 1/2 tablespoons each). Fold and drape 2 ham slices on top of each piece. Drizzle evenly with pepper honey. Serve immediately