DANISH PASTRY BRAID

Danish Pastry Braid image

When Beatrice Ojakangas published The Great Scandinavian Baking Book in 1988, she won a lot of fans-including Julia Child-who asked Ojakangas to be on her television show. There Ojakangas demonstrated how to make this simplified version of traditional cardamom-scented Danish pastry.

Provided by Beatrice Ojankangas

Categories Pastry Dessert Christmas Almond

Yield Makes 2 filled braids

Number Of Ingredients 26

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Ingredients

Quick Method Danish Pastry:
3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) chilled unsalted butter
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup heavy cream or undiluted evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly crushed cardamom seed (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
Butter Cream Filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) soft butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup finely pulverized almonds
1 (3-ounce) package almond paste
1 egg white
Glaze:
1 slightly beaten egg
2 tablespoons milk or water
Pearl sugar or crushed sugar cubes, for topping
Chopped or sliced almonds for topping
Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons warm water
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Steps:

Quick Method Danish Pastry:
Measure 3 1/2 cups flour into a bowl or work bowl of food processor with steel blade in place. Cut the butter into 1/4-inch slices and add to the flour. Process or cut the butter into the flour until the butter is about the size of kidney beans.
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in the cream or milk, cardamom, salt, eggs, and sugar.
Turn the flour-butter mixture into the liquid ingredients, and with a rubber spatula mix carefully just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours, overnight, or up to 4 days.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board; dust with flour. Pound and flatten to make a 16- to 20-inch rectangle. Fold into thirds, making 3 layers. Turn dough around and roll out again. Fold from the short sides into thirds. This should result in a perfect square. Repeat folding and rolling again if you wish.
Wrap and chill the dough 30 minutes or as long as overnight.
To make the Danish Pastry Braid:
Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease and flour them.
Divide the chilled dough into 2 parts. Roll each part out to make a rectangle 12 by 6 inches. Place these strips on the prepared baking sheets.
To make the filling, cream the butter and sugar until light. Blend in the almond extract, almonds, almond paste, and egg white.
Spread filling down the length of the center of the strips. Cut slanting strips at 3/4-inch intervals along both sides up toward the center using a pastry wheel. Fold strips over the filling in a crisscross manner
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Let strips rise for 15 to 30 minutes, just until the pastry strips look puffy; they will not double.
To make a glaze, beat the egg with the milk or water. Brush the pastry lightly with it. Sprinkle the sugar and/or sliced almonds over the top.
Bake about 15 minutes or until golden.
Frost, if desired, with almond-water icing. Blend the sugar, water, and almond extract until smooth and thin enough to drizzle over the braids.