Danish Recipe Easy

DANISH PASTRY

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and 2/3 cup of flour. Divide into 2 equal parts, and roll each half between 2 pieces of waxed paper into a 6 x12 inch sheet. Refrigerate.
• In a large bowl, mix together the dry yeast and 3 cups of the remaining flour. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, sugar and salt. Heat to 115 degrees F (43 degrees C), or just warm, but not hot to the touch. Mix the warm milk mixture into the flour and yeast along with the eggs, and lemon and almond extracts. Stir for 3 minutes. Knead in the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough is firm and pliable. Set aside to rest until double in size.
• Cut the dough in half, and roll each half out to a 14 inch square. Place one sheet of the cold butter onto each piece of dough, and fold the dough over it like the cover of a book. Seal edges by pressing with fingers. Roll each piece out to a 20x 12 inch rectangle, then fold into thirds by folding the long sides in over the center. Repeat rolling into a large rectangle, and folding into thirds. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Remove from the refrigerator one at a time, and roll and fold each piece two more times. Return to the refrigerator to chill again before shaping. If the butter gets too warm, the dough will become difficult to manage.
• To make danishes, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. The dough can be cut into squares, with a filling placed in the center. Fold 2 of the corners over the center to form a filled diamond shape. Or, fold the piece in half, cut into 1 inch strips, stretch, twist and roll into a spiral. Place a dollop of preserves or other filling in the center. Place danishes on an ungreased baking sheet, and let rise until doubled. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). Danishes can be brushed with egg white for a shiny finish.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bottoms are golden brown.

EASY CHEESE DANISH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper.
• Beat the whole egg with 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl; set aside.
• Beat the egg yolk, cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth.
• Lay out the 2 sheets of puff pastry and cut each into 4 squares. Fold the corners of the squares over by about 1 inch to make octagon shapes. Spoon the cream cheese mixture evenly into the center of each (about 2 tablespoons per); do not spread the cream cheese. Brush all of the exposed pastry with the egg wash, then dust generously with sugar.
• Bake until puffed and golden brown all over, about 18 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

EASY CHEESE DANISH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream them together on low speed until smooth. With the mixer still on low, add the egg yolks, ricotta, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix until just combined. Don't whip!
• Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until it's a 10 by 10-inch square. Cut the sheet into quarters with a sharp knife. Place a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling into the middle of each of the 4 squares. Brush the border of each pastry with egg wash and fold 2 opposite corners to the center, brushing and overlapping the corners of each pastry so they firmly stick together. Brush the top of the pastries with egg wash. Place the pastries on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry and refrigerate the filled Danish for 15 minutes.
• Bake the pastries for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking, until puffed and brown. Serve warm.

EASY APPLE DANISH

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest; cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in the yeast mixture, milk and eggs until blended. , Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead about 20 times (dough will be slightly sticky). Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. , For filling, combine the apples, walnuts, sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each portion into an 18x15-in. rectangle; brush with butter. Sprinkle filling to within 1/2 in. of edges. , Starting with a short side, fold a third of the dough over filling; repeat with other side, making a 15x6-in. rectangle. Pinch seams to seal. Cut each into 15 slices. Twist each slice a few times; pinch ends together, forming a small circle. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. , Bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm rolls.

DANISH PASTRIES

Steps:

• Pulse together the dry ingredients plus 2 tsp salt in a processor, then pulse in the milk and egg, plus 100ml water, until you have a smooth, slightly sticky dough. Knead for 1 min, using a little flour, until just smooth. Put into an oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hr until doubled in size (overnight in the fridge if you like).
• Flour your surface, then pat the dough out to a rectangle, 1cm thick. Lay the butter slices out over the middle of the dough, in a rectangle. Fold the pastry over the top, bottom and then sides until the butter is completely hidden. Press the edges down.
• Roll the dough out to a 50 x 30cm rectangle, first tapping out the dough with the rolling pin in gentle ridges, so that you can tell the butter is being squashed out evenly inside the pastry, before rolling properly. Turn dough 90 degrees, then fold the right third over and the left third over that. Do this three times, chilling for 15 mins after each roll.
• Cut the dough in half, into 2 squares. Roll one piece of dough to 35 x 35cm. Cut into 9 squares, then follow the instructions below for each filling and shape. If you want to make more than one shape, it's easy to divide the filling quantity. Don't worry if your squares rise as you work, just roll them out a bit again.
• To make 18 pecan pinwheels, whizz 85g pecans until fine, then stir in 50g light muscovado, 1 tbsp maple syrup and 25g softened butter. Cut each square of pastry almost to the middle from each corner, spoon on 1 tsp filling, then fold each point over and press into the middle. Scatter more chopped pecans and a little sugar over before baking. Drizzle with a little maple syrup to serve.
• For 18 apricot custard turnovers, you will need 150g tub custard, 2 x 320g cans apricots and a few tsps apricot jam. Put 2 tsp custard in the middle, sit two apricot halves on top, dot with jam, then pull 2 corners over and pinch to seal.
• To make 18 raisin swirls, mix 50g raisins, 25g caster sugar, 1 tsp mixed spice and 50g soft butter. Instead of cutting the dough into 9, leave it whole and spread the filling over. Roll up, slice into 9 rounds, then squash each one. Blend 50g icing sugar and a few drops of water to drizzle over once baked.
• Once shaped and filled, let the pastries rise for 30 mins until puffed and doubled in size. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Brush with beaten egg, make sure you pinch any edges together again, then bake for about 20 mins until golden and risen.

EASY CHEESE DANISH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolks, lemon zest, vanilla and salt; beat on low speed until blended., On a lightly floured surface, roll out each sheet of puff pastry into a 12-in. square. Cut each into nine squares. Spoon 2-1/2 teaspoons of cheese mixture into the center of each square., Whisk egg and water; lightly brush over edges. Bring two opposite corners of pastry over filling; pinch to seal. Place on a greased baking sheet; brush with remaining egg mixture. Bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes.

EASY DANISH

Steps:

• 1st Part:.
• Cut 1/2 cup butter into 1 cup flour.
• Sprinkle water over mixture and mix until it's moist enough to round into a ball.
• Divide in half.
• On ungreased baking sheet, pat each half into a strip that is roughly 12x3 inches, with strips about 3" apart.
• 2nd Part:.
• Heat 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water to a rolling boil.
• Turn heat to lowest setting and quickly stir in 1 t. almond extract and 1 cup flour.
• Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute.
• Remove from heat.
• Beat in eggs, all at once, until smooth and glossy.
• Divide in half.
• Spread evenly over strips.
• Bake 60 minutes or until topping is crisp and brown.
• Frost with Sugar Glaze (see below) and sprinkle with nuts.
• Sugar Glaze:.
• Mix 3 cups powdered sugar, 4 T. butter, 1.5 t. vanilla, 1.5 t. almond extract, and 2-4 T. warm water until smooth and of spreading consistency.
• If you are topping with walnuts instead of almonds, use less almond extract or none at all and just use vanilla extract.
• Recipe can be made into individual puffs by patting dough into 3" circles, using a rounded tsp for each puff. Spread rounded tablespoon of batter (2nd part) over each circle, extending it just beyond the edge of the circle. Bake 30 minutes and frost.

EASY CHERRY DANISH

Steps:

• Separate breadsticks, but leave coiled in circles.
• Place in a greased 15x10x1 pan.
• Brush generously with margarine.
• Sprinkle with sugar.
• Make an indentation on top of each, fill with 1 T.
• pie filling.
• Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.
• Combine conf sugar and water; drizzle over top.
• You may vary the pie filling.
• Blueberry is also great!