Danish Pastries

About a hundred years ago, Viennese bakers took over for the striking bakers in Denmark and introduced these delicious pastries. These are best when made the night before serving. This recipe looks more complicated than it actually is. There are lots of fillings and toppings, but once you have the dough made, it is very easy to make the pastries. Add a drop of Fiori di Sicilia flavoring to the dough for a true bakery flavor. Order from www.kingarthurflour.com or look for baking ingredients at the gourmet store at www.amazon.com. They sell almost everything these days. Most of these ingredients are easy to find during the holiday season.

Pastry Dough

    ¼ cup water, warmed to 110˚

    2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
    2 tablespoons granulated sugar
    2 large eggs
    4 cups all-purpose flour
    1 teaspoon salt
    3 tablespoons butter, softened
    ½ cup water, warmed to 110˚
   1 cup unsalted butter, softened

Custard Filling

    ½ cup whole milk
    ½ large egg yolk (save other half for cream cheese filling
    and the egg white for the almond filling)
    1 tablespoon custard powder
    1 tablespoon granulated sugar
    ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon, Fruit & Nut Filling

    2 tablespoons butter
    ¼ cup dark brown sugar
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    ¼ cup glacé fruit, chopped
    ¼ cup chopped walnuts

Cream Cheese Filling

    4 ounces cream cheese
    3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
    ½ teaspoon almond extract
    ½ large egg yolk

Almond Filling

    1 large egg white
    3 tablespoons granulated sugar
    ⅓ cup almond paste
    ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
 

Glaze

    ⅔ cup apricot jam, heated and strained

Confectioners’ Icing

    1 cup confectioners’ sugar
    ¼ cup whipping cream

Toppings

    Cherry Jam
    4 candied green cherries
    4 candied red cherries
    ¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted

1. In a small bowl, whisk ¼ cup water, yeast, sugar and eggs.
    In an extra large bowl, sift the flour and salt. Use a mixer to
    cut the 3 tablespoons butter into the flour mixture. Add yeast
    mixture and ½ cup water. Remove dough from bowl and knead
    for 1 minute. Refrigerate 5 minutes.

2. Roll dough to form a 10 x 18-inch rectangle. Spread the 1 cup
    butter over the dough, stopping about 1 inch from the edge.
    Moisten edge with water. Fold one third of the fold one third
    of the dough up over the butter. Fold the remaining third and
    seal the edge with a dab of water. Wrap in plastic wrap and
    refrigerate for 15–20 minutes.

3. In the meantime, make a custard filling by mixing the milk,
    yolk, custard powder, sugar and vanilla in a 1-quart saucepan.
    Whisk over medium heat until thickened. Refrigerate.

4. Make the cinnamon, fruit and nut filling by mixing the butter,
    sugar, cinnamon, fruit and walnuts together. Refrigerate.

5. Make the cream cheese filling by mixing the cream, sugar,
    almond extract and egg yolk together. Refrigerate.

6. Make the almond filling by mixing the egg white, sugar,
    almond paste and almond extract together. Refrigerate.

7. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and set on a floured
    board. Roll out to a 10 x 18-inch rectangle. Fold in thirds,
    seal the edges and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

8. Repeat step 7.

9. Repeat step 7. 

10. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces.

11. Cinnamon Pinwheels: Roll the first piece into a 9 x 6-inch
      rectangle, cover with the cinnamon filling. Roll up, seal edge
      with water and then pinch closed. Cut into 10 pinwheels.
      Set on a baking sheet.

12. Custard Windmills: Roll the next piece of dough into an
      8 x 8-inch square. Cut the square into 4 more squares.
      Take each smaller square and roll it out into a 4 x 4-inch square.

      Cut the corners to ½-inch from center. Top with cooled custard
      and fold every other corner to the center to form windmills.
      Set on a baking sheet.

13. Cream Cheese Pastries: Roll the next piece of dough into an
      8 x 8-inch square. Cut the square into 4 more squares. Take each
      smaller square and roll it out into a 4 x 4-inch square. Top with
      cream cheese filling and fold the four corners to the middle.
      Set on a baking sheet.

14. Bear claws: Roll the last piece of dough into an 8 x 8-inch square.
      Cut the square into 4 more squares. Take each smaller square
      and roll it out into a 4 x 4-inch square. Top with almond filling
      and then fold in half. Make four 1-inch cuts on the folded side,
      pull apart slightly for bear claws. Set on a baking sheet.

15. Let all the pastries rise for 45 minutes.

16. Bake in a preheated 425˚ oven for 10 minutes.

17. When pastries come out of the oven, use a pastry brush to
      glaze with heated and strained apricot jam.

18. Make the icing by mixing the confectioners’ sugar and cream.
      Drizzle on cooled pastries. When drizzling over the bear claws,
        immediately sprinkle with toasted almonds.

19. Place a dollop of cherry jam on the cheese pastries. Decorate
      the windmills with green and red cherries.

      Makes 22 pastries