Recipe(tried): Bear Claws or Cockscomb Danish

DANISH PASTRY DOUGH

* Exported from MasterCook *

Danish Pastry Dough

Recipe By : Family Circle Magazine
February 1974
Serving Size : 24 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cakes And Baked Desserts
Pastries

Amount Measure Ingredient --
Preparation Method
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2 envelopes active dry yeast
1/2 cup very warm water
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk -- cold
2 eggs
4 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose
flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound butter
flour for work
surface

Carefully read TIPS FOR THE BAKER at bottom
of recipe before proceeding.

1. Sprinkle yeast into very warm water in a 1
cup measuring cup. ("Very warm" water should
feel comfortably warm when dropped on wrist.)
Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar. Stir until
yeast dissolves. Let stand, undisturbed until
bubbly and double in volume, about 10
minutes. Now you can tell the yeast is
working.

2. Combine remaining sugar, milk, eggs, 3
cups of the flour, salt, and the yeast
mixture in a large bowl. Beat with electric
mixer at medium speed, for 3 minutes (or beat
with spoon for 3 minutes). Beat in remaining
flour with a wooden spoon until dough is
shiny and elastic (dough capable electric
mixer is fine, this is an old recipe!). Dough
will be soft. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap. refrigerate 30
minutes.

3. Place the sticks of butter 1 inch apart,
between two sheets of waxed paper; roll out
to a 12 inch square. Chill on cookie sheet
until ready to use.

4. Sprinkle working surface heavily with
flour, about 1/3 cup; turn dough out onto
flour; sprinkle flour on top of dough. Roll
out to an 18" x 13" rectangle. Brush off
excess flour with a soft pastry brush.

5. Peel off top sheet of wax paper from
butter; place butter paper side up on one end
of dough to cover 2/3 of the dough; peel off
remaining sheet of waxed paper. For easy
folding, carefully score butter lengthwise
down the center, without cutting into the
dough. Fold the third of dough which is not
covered with butter over the middle third of
the dough to enclose the butter completely.
Turn dough clockwise so the open side is away
from you.

6. *Roll out to a 24" x 12" rectangle using
enough flour to keep dough from sticking.
Fold both side ends in to meet in the center
of the dough (creating a folded edge at both
sides of dough). Fold in half to bring the
two folded edges together and create four
layers of dough. Turn again so the open side
is away from you.

* Repeat rolling and folding this way two
more times. Keep the dough to a perfect
rectangle by rolling straight up and down and
from side to side. When it is necessary,
chill the dough between rollings. Clean off
the working surface each time and dust
lightly with flour. Refrigerate dough 1 hour
or more (even overnight, if you wish) to
relax dough and firm up butter layers). Cut
dough in half. You can see the buttery
layers, which when baked become flaky and
crisp. Work with only half the dough at a
time. Keep the other half covered and
refrigerated until ready to use.

At this point use dough to make pastries
like Cheese Danish, Almond Crescents etc.
See individual recipes.

** TIPS FOR THE BAKER:
It is important to keep butter enclosed in
dough. If it oozes out, immediately sprinkle
with flour and if dough becomes too sticky to
handle it is probably because the butter has
softened. Just chill 30 minutes before
continuing rolling and folding.

Use more flour than you would normally use
for rolling out pastries, then brush off
excess with a soft pastry brush before
folding or filling; this way flour will not
build up in the pastry.

Since the dough is very rich, it is best to
let pastries rise at room temperature . Do
not try to hasten the rise by using heat;
doing so would melt the butter. This would
ruin the texture of the pastry.

If using margarine (NOT recommended because
of changes in the water content in recent
years) which is of a softer consistency than
butter, refrigerate 20 minutes between each
rolling.

For freezing: Place shapes pastries on cookie
sheets. Don't brush with egg or sprinkle with
toppings until ready to bake. Cover with foil
or plastic wrap and freeze.

To Bake from frozen state: Remove Danish from
freezer the night before and place in
refrigerator. Next morning, arrange on cookie
sheets, 2 inches apart. Let rise at room
temperature, away from drafts until double in
volume, about 1 1/2 hours. Brush with egg
wash, sprinkle with toppings; bake following
individual recipes.

For refrigerating: Place shaped Danish on
cooky sheets; cover; refrigerate. To bake
simply remove from refrigerator, let rise and
bake as above.

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NOTES : Makes 2 large pastries OR 24
individual pastries OR 1 large pastry and 12
individual pastries.

Recipe By : Family Circle Magazine
February 1974
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Pastries

Amount Measure Ingredient --
Preparation Method
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1/2 recipe Danish Pastry Dough
Almond Filling:
4 ounces almond paste
4 tablespoons butter -- softened
1/4 cup sugar
Finishing:
1 egg -- slightly
beaten
sugar

Almond filling: Beat the almond paste,
butter, and sugar well in a small bowl until
smooth and well-blended. Set aside.

Roll pastry on floured surface to 2 20" x 15"
rectangles. Trim edges evenly. With a sharp
knife cut into 12 5" squares. Spoon filling
onto center of each square, dividing evenly.
Spread filling slightly parallel to one
edge; brush edges lightly with egg; then fold
opposite edges over ; press edges together to
seal. Make 4 or 5 slits in sealed edge; place
on cooky sheet, curving pastries slightly to
resemble a cocks comb. Let rise in warm place
until double in bulk, about 30 minutes. Brush
with egg; sprinkle generously with sugar.
Place in hot oven (400 ); lower heat
immediately to 350 f. Bake 20 minutes or
until puffed and golden brown. Remove to wire
rack and cool.