Recipe: Danish Pastry Wreaths (using almond paste) (McCall's Cooking School)

Dear Kathleen,

Here is your recipe for "A Wreath You Can Eat." Happy Holidays!

DANISH PASTRY WREATHS

1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour, divided use
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup warm water (l05 to ll5 degrees F)
2 pkg active dry yeast
1 egg
FOR THE FILLING:
1 (8 oz) can almond paste (1 cup)
3/4 cup crushed zwieback (8)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
FOR FROSTING AND DECORATING:
2 cups unsifted confectioners' sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
Candied red cherries
Angelica bits

In bowl, with wooden spoon, beat butter and 1/4 cup flour until smooth. Spread on waxed paper (on wet surface) to 12-by-8-inch rectangle. Refrigerate on cookie sheet.

Heat milk slightly. Add sugar and salt; stir to dissolve. Cool to lukewarm.

Check temperature of water with thermometer. Pour into large bowl; sprinkle with yeast; stir to dissolve. Stir in milk mixture, egg and 3 cups flour; beat with wooden spoon until smooth. Mix in remaining 3/4 cup flour with hand until dough leaves side of bowl. Refrigerate, covered, 1/2 hour.

Turn out onto lightly floured pastry cloth; with covered rolling pin, roll into 16-by-12-inch rectangle. Place chilled butter mixture on half of dough; remove paper. Fold other half of dough over butter; pinch the edges to seal.

With fold at right, roll out from center to a 16-by-8-inch rectangle. From short side, fold dough into thirds, making three layers; seal edges; chill 1 hour.

Repeat rolling and folding (if butter breaks through, brush with flour); seal edges; chill 1/2 hour.

Roll, fold again and seal edges; chill, wrapped in foil, 3 hours or overnight.

Roll half of dough into a 22-by-8-inch strip. (Chill other half.) Cut into thirds lengthwise.

Mix Filling ingredients together. Fill center of each strip with 1/3 cup; close edges over filling. Braid. Form wreath, 6 inches across in center, on parchment paper on cookie sheet; seal ends. Let rise in warm place 1 hour-until double in bulk.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake 1/2 hour. Cool slightly on rack.

Mix sugar and milk; spread half over pastry. Decorate.

Makes 2
Source: McCall's Cooking School