Auntie Barbaras Yummy Easy Danish Pastry Recipes

AUNTIE BARBARA'S YUMMY & EASY DANISH PASTRY.

Steps:

• Take the first 3 ingredients only: 4 ounces butter, 1 cup flour, and 2 tablespoons water; rub the butter into the flour; add the water. You will have a soft and slightly sticky ball.
• Spread this mixture out onto an unbuttered baking tray (cookie sheet) to an approximate 5 to 7 mm thickness.
• This recipe makes one tray size pastry that you cut into slices afterwards, rather than individual pastries that I now understand Americans might be used to.
• Take the second quantity of butter and water: 4 ounces butter, 1 cup water; put into a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil.
• Take off the heat, mix in all the second quantity of flour (1 cup) all at once.
• Stir until you have a smooth ball. I use a whisk for this and the following step as it goes much faster than with a wooden spoon.
• Add the almond essence and all the eggs at once and stir until your mixture is a smooth glossy paste.
• Spread the second mixture evenly over the first mixture.
• Bake at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for approximately 45 minutes or until light golden brown and topping is a little bit crisp.
• Cool.
• Glaze with icing. Spread icing over Danish and sprinkle with nuts or other decoration etc. as preferred.

EASY CHEESE DANISH (BAREFOOT CONTESSA)

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 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.