Scandinavian Almond Puff Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Cut 1/2 cup softened butter into 1 cup flour, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until particles are size of coarse crumbs.
• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons water over mixture; mix with fork.
• Gather pastry into ball; divide in half.
• Pat each half into rectangle, 12x3 inches, about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Heat remaining 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water to rolling boil in 2-quart saucepan; remove from heat.
• Quickly stir in almond extract and 1 cup flour.
• Stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat.
• Add eggs; beat until smooth. Spread half of the topping over each rectangle.
• Bake about 1 hour or until topping is crisp and brown; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely.
• Spread with Creamy Almond Glaze; sprinkle with almonds.
• Creamy Almond Glaze:
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar; 2-3 tbsp butter, softened; 1/2 to 1 tsp almond extract; 1-2 tbsp warm water or milk.
• Mix all ingredients until smooth and spreadable and glaze the Danish puff.

Steps:

• To make the filing, cream butter and sugar together. Add egg and beat until smooth. Add almonds, extract and rum.
• Wrap the filling in plastic wrap and chill until it is hard.
• To form the puff, roll the puff pastry on a floured board into a large square, 15 inches by 15 inches. Pastry should be less than onequarter-inch thick.
• Place chilled ball of filling in center of dough and gather up edges of pastry. Tie a piece of string securely around pastry, totally enclosing the filling. Cut off excess pastry with scissors. Place puff on a baking sheet and chill for at least two hours.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Brush the puff with an egg glaze made of one egg yolk and two tablespoons of heavy cream.
• Bake the puff for 20 minutes at 450 degrees, then reduce the heat to 425 degrees and continue baking until the pastry is a golden brown. Remove from oven, slide the puff on a baking rack to cool. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Decorate, if desired, with a single perfect blossom.

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.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour and salt; cut in 1/2 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 2 tablespoons cold water; stir with a fork until blended. Shape dough into a ball; divide in half. Place dough 3 in. apart on an ungreased baking sheet; pat each into a 12x3-in. rectangle., In a large saucepan, bring remaining butter and water to a boil. Remove from the heat; stir in extract and remaining flour until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny. , Spread over rectangles. Bake at 400° until topping is lightly browned, 18-20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire racks., For frosting, in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, water and extract; beat until smooth. Spread over pastries; sprinkle with almonds.

Steps:

• Place 1 cup of flour in a medium bowl. Mix in butter using a fork or a pastry blender. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water over, and stir with a fork until dough comes together. Divide into two balls. Pat dough into two long strips on an ungreased baking sheet, about 14 inches long and 3 inches wide. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of butter and 1 cup of water. Bring to a rolling boil. Add 1 teaspoon of almond extract and remove from the heat. Immediately stir in 1 cup of flour until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan. Gradually stir in the eggs until well blended. Divide evenly, and spread over the two crusts on the baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 1 hour. Allow to cool almost to room temperature before frosting.
• To make the frosting, mix together the confectioners' sugar, 1 teaspoon of almond extract and a splash of milk in a small bowl until smooth. Add more milk if necessary to make a pourable glaze. Drizzle over the Danish, and decorate with candy sprinkles if desired.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place 1 cup flour in medium bowl. Cut in 1/2 cup softened butter, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons water over mixture; toss with fork.
• Gather pastry into a ball; divide in half. Pat each half into 12x3-inch rectangle, about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• In 2-quart saucepan, heat 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water to rolling boil; remove from heat. Quickly stir in almond extract and 1 cup flour. Stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat. Add eggs; beat until smooth. Spread half of the topping over each rectangle.
• Bake about 1 hour or until topping is crisp and brown; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely.
• In medium bowl, mix all glaze ingredients except nuts until smooth and spreadable. Spread over top of pastry; sprinkle with nuts.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F Place 1 cup flour in large bowl; cut in 1/2 cup butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 2 tablespoons water with fork until flour mixture is just moistened. Shape dough into a ball. Pat dough into 10-inch circle on ungreased baking sheet. Set aside.
• Combine 1 cup water and 1/2 cup butter in 2-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a full boil and butter is melted (6 to 8 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in 1 cup flour and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture forms a ball (about 1 minute). Remove from heat.
• Add 1 egg at a time, beating with wire whisk or wooden spoon after each addition until smooth and glossy.
• Spread egg mixture over pastry circle. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until surface is crisp and golden. Cool completely. (Topping rises during baking and shrinks during cooling, forming custard-like layer.).
• Combine powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon butter and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract in small bowl until well mixed. Add enough milk for desired glazing consistency.
• Drizzle glaze over puff; sprinkle with almonds.
• Recipe Tip
• Wrap coffee cake puff in plastic food wrap or aluminum foil; refrigerate up to 2 days.
• VARIATIONS:
• Lemon Pecan Puff: Omit almond extract in topping. Substitute 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel. Omit almond extract and milk in glaze. Substitute 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Omit sliced almonds. Sprinkle puff with 1/4 cup chopped pecans.
• Maple Pecan Puff: Omit almond extract in topping. Substitute 1 teaspoon maple extract. Omit almond extract in glaze. Substitute 1 teaspoon maple extract. Omit sliced almonds. Sprinkle puff with 1/4 cup chopped pecans.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place 1 cup flour in large bowl; cut in 1/2 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 2 tablespoons water with fork until flour mixture is just moistened. Press dough into a ball. Pat dough into 10-inch circle onto ungreased baking sheet. Set aside.
• Combine 1 cup water and 1/2 cup butter in 2-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a full boil and butter is melted. Remove from heat; stir in 1 cup flour and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture forms a ball (about 1 minute). Remove from heat. Add eggs, one at a time, beating with wire whisk or wooden spoon until smooth and glossy.
• Spread egg mixture over pastry circle. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until surface is crisp and golden. Cool completely. (Topping rises during baking and shrinks during cooling, forming custard-like layer.)
• Stir powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons butter and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract in small bowl until well mixed. Add enough milk for desired glazing consistency. Drizzle glaze over puff; sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Steps:

• In a bowl, cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add water and toss with a fork. Shape dough into a ball. Pat into two 12-in. x 3-in. strips, drop 2 in. apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Set aside. , In a large saucepan, bring the water and butter to a boil over medium heat. Add flour all at once; stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; stir in extract. Let stand 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny. Spread over crusts, covering completely., Bake at 325° for 50-55 minutes or until puffed and light browned. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. In a bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, extract and enough water to achieve spreading consistency. Spread over warm puffs. Sprinkle with almonds. Cut into 1-in. strips. Refrigerate leftovers.