Lemon Danish Pastry Recipes

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.

LEMON DANISH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Unfold pastry sheet. Cut the pastry sheet lengthwise into 6 strips. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheet, making 12 strips in all.
• Twist each pastry strip then fold into a spiral. Place the pastry onto the baking sheet, leaving an inch between each for spreading. Brush the pastry sheet with melted butter.
• Place 1 heaping tablespoon lemon curd into the center of each pastry. Bake for 18 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown.
• Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
• Place the confectioners' sugar into a small bowl. Whisk in the lemon juice and milk, until the mixture is desired consistency (may need to add a little more milk if icing is too thick). Drizzle over the edges of the danish. Serve immediately.

LEMON-RASPBERRY DANISH WITH MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a small saucepan over low, heat milk until just warm to the touch (about 95 degrees). If needed, let cool to the correct temperature before using.
• While the milk heats, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the flour, granulated sugar, yeast and salt to combine. Add the warm milk and the egg and mix on low speed until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl well, and mix on medium until the dough is very smooth, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer to a medium bowl lightly greased with nonstick spray, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until puffy and doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• While the dough rises, make the filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the mascarpone and cream cheese on low speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, about 1 minute.
• Beat in the egg white on low speed, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the lemon curd, lemon zest (if using) and vanilla and mix well to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
• When the dough has risen, roll it out on a lightly floured surface using a lightly floured rolling pin into a 10-by-15-inch rectangle (about 1/2-inch-thick). Roll the dough around the rolling pin and gently transfer it to a piece of parchment paper that will fit on a baking sheet. Using the tip of a metal spatula, gently mark the dough into even, vertical thirds without cutting all the way through.
• Spoon the filling into the center third of the dough, spreading it in an even layer, leaving the outer thirds of the dough uncovered. Arrange the raspberries evenly on top of the filling.
• Using a bench knife, sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut 1 1/2-inch-wide horizontal strips down one side of the dough, stopping the cut just before you hit the filling. Repeat on the other side, being sure to cut the same number of strips at about the same place (these are the "strands" you'll braid over the filling). Transfer the parchment paper with the dough to a baking sheet to finish the assembly (it can be tricky to move the loaf once braided).
• Braid the dough: Fold each strip of dough in toward the center, crisscrossing the filling by alternating one strip from each side. It's O.K. to stretch the strips slightly if you need to. Continue to cross the strands all the way down the loaf. Pinch the excess dough at the ends together, then fold them under the loaf.
• Cover the loaf with greased plastic wrap and let rise until puffy, 30 to 45 minutes. Toward the end of the rise time, heat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Make an egg wash: Lightly beat 1 egg and 1 tablespoon water together. Brush the surface of the bread with the egg wash, taking care to get all the nooks and crannies of the braid. Bake until the loaf is deeply golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely on the baking sheet.
• While the loaf cools, make the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice together to combine. The glaze should be thin enough to brush it onto the loaf. Add milk 1 teaspoon at a time, as needed to thin glaze.
• Once the loaf is cool, brush with the glaze until coated. Don't worry if it pools in some places. Let the glaze set for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.