Danish pastry is a rich, yeasted, laminated dough known for its delicate layers and buttery flavor, developed in Denmark during the 19th century when Austrian bakers introduced laminated techniques to local baking traditions. This version reflects a classic home-style approach, combining a lightly sweetened dough with an almond filling enriched by butter, egg, and almond extract. The careful rolling, folding, and chilling create flaky layers that bake up tender and crisp. Often finished with candied cherries or nuts, this pastry is cherished for its balance of richness and elegance, making it equally suited for special breakfasts, coffee breaks, or festive dessert tables.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 ½ cup salted butter or margarine (softened)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup milk
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup very warm water (105–115°F)
- 2 pkg active dry yeast (¼ oz each )
- 1 egg
- 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- 1 cup almond paste
- ¾ cup zwieback crumbs (crushed )
- ½ cup butter (melted)
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar (unsifted)
- 3-4 tbsp milk
- Candied red cherries
- Angélica bits
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare Milk Mixture
- Add sugar and salt to milk. Stir to dissolve and cool to lukewarm.
Step 2: Activate Yeast
- Check water temperature with thermometer. Pour into large bowl, sprinkle yeast over water, and stir to dissolve.
Step 3: Mix Dough
- Add milk mixture, egg, butter, and 1½ cups flour. Beat with wooden spoon until smooth.
Step 4: Form Dough
- Mix in remaining flour. Finish by kneading lightly by hand until dough leaves sides of bowl.
Step 5: Chill Dough
- Cover and refrigerate for ½ hour.
Step 6: Roll & Fold
- Roll dough on floured cloth into 16 × 12-inch rectangle. Place chilled butter on half, fold, seal edges, roll, and fold into thirds.
Step 7: Rest & Repeat
- Chill ½ hour. Repeat rolling and folding once more. Chill overnight.
Step 8: Prepare Filling
- Mix all filling ingredients except cherries and angélica until smooth.
Step 9: Shape Pastries
- Roll dough, cut, fill, decorate, and shape as desired.
Step 10: Bake
- Bake at 400°F (205°C) for 20–25 minutes until golden.
Tips
- Chill dough thoroughly for best flakiness
- Use European-style butter for richer flavor
- Substitute apricot filling for almond
- Add sliced almonds on top before baking
- Drizzle with simple icing after cooling
- Shape into pinwheels or braids
- Freeze shaped pastries before baking
- Serve slightly warm for best texture
Nutrition
Calories: 420kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 7gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 260mgPotassium: 140mgFiber: 2gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 820IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 2.1mg
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