Classic Danish Pastries Recipe
Taste it to believe it that this Danish Pastries recipe can get you hooked easily. European folks out there will love this recipe. This Danish Pastries is surely going to make you popular amongst your friends once you treat them to it.
Ingredients
Pastry dough:
1 oz. fresh (compressed) yeast
1/4 pint warm milk
1 lb. plain (all-purpose) flour
1 teaspoon salt
10 oz. butter
2 oz. castor sugar
2 eggs, beaten
Beaten egg to glaze
Filling:
1 oz. (2T) butter
3 oz. castor sugar
3 oz. ground almonds
1/2 beaten egg
Icing and decoration:
8 oz. (1 3/4 cups) icing (confectioners') sugar
1-2 tablespoons hot water chopped nuts
Few glace (candied) cherries
Directions
Cream the yeast with 2 tablespoons (3 T) of the milk.
Sift flour and salt into a bowl.
Rub in 2 oz.(1/4 cup) of the butter.
Stir in the sugar.
Make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast liquid, remaining milk and beaten eggs.
Beat thoroughly to give a soft dough, adding more milk if necessary.
Flatten the remaining butter to an oblong, 9 x5 inches.
Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic then roll out to a 10-11 inch square.
Place the butter in the centre and fold the dough over, encasing the butter.
Roll to an oblong, about 8 x 24 inches.
Fold the dough into 3 and place in a polythene (plastic) bag.
Leave to rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Repeat the rolling, folding and resting three times.
To prepare the filling, cream the butter with the sugar, almonds and egg to give a stiff paste.
Roll out the chilled dough to a large rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
To make envelope pastries, cut into 4 inch squares.
Place a little filling in the centre of each square.
Fold the corners into the centre, enclosing the filling.
Place the pastries on baking sheets and cover with greased polythene (plastic) sheets.
Leave in a warm place for 20 minutes.
Bake above the centre of a hot oven, 425°F, Gas Mark 7 for 12-15 minutes.
Blend the icing sugar with enough hot water to give a coating consistency.
Spread on top of the pastries.
Top with chopped nuts and glace cherries.
Sift flour and salt into a bowl.
Rub in 2 oz.(1/4 cup) of the butter.
Stir in the sugar.
Make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast liquid, remaining milk and beaten eggs.
Beat thoroughly to give a soft dough, adding more milk if necessary.
Flatten the remaining butter to an oblong, 9 x5 inches.
Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic then roll out to a 10-11 inch square.
Place the butter in the centre and fold the dough over, encasing the butter.
Roll to an oblong, about 8 x 24 inches.
Fold the dough into 3 and place in a polythene (plastic) bag.
Leave to rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Repeat the rolling, folding and resting three times.
To prepare the filling, cream the butter with the sugar, almonds and egg to give a stiff paste.
Roll out the chilled dough to a large rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
To make envelope pastries, cut into 4 inch squares.
Place a little filling in the centre of each square.
Fold the corners into the centre, enclosing the filling.
Place the pastries on baking sheets and cover with greased polythene (plastic) sheets.
Leave in a warm place for 20 minutes.
Bake above the centre of a hot oven, 425°F, Gas Mark 7 for 12-15 minutes.
Blend the icing sugar with enough hot water to give a coating consistency.
Spread on top of the pastries.
Top with chopped nuts and glace cherries.
