Danish Pastry

Filling: I use a cream cheese mixture and preserves. I sweeten the cream cheese with a few TBS of powdered sugar and maybe add some flavoring as well. I then add a some preserves. OR 1 cup ricotta cheese 6 TBS sugar 1 TBS lemon zest 1 large egg beaten 3 TBS unsalted butter melted and cold Combine all ingredients until well blended. OR use a store bought almond filling OR 1/2 cup + 2TBS toasted almonds 1/3 cup +2 TBS powdered sugar 2 TBS unsalted butter (rm.temp) 1/2 tsp almond extract 1 large egg white beaten lightly Process almonds and sugar till finally ground. Add butter, extract and 2 TBS egg white and pulse again. Use as a filling. Sprinkle some sliced almonds on top of danish. Egg Glaze: 1 egg, beaten with 2 TBS milk Clear Glaze: 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup water 1-2 tsp vanilla/almond flavoring (my addition) 3 tsp lemon juice(my addition) In a saucepan, heat sugar ,water and lemon juice to boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Stir in flavoring. Set aside. Sugar glaze: 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1-2 TBS water 1 tsp lemon juice (my addition) In a plastic sandwich bag, place sugar and add water 1 TBS at a time while mixing the mixture in the bag. You don't want the mixture to be too runny. You can always correct it by adding more sugar to bring it to the right consistency. Cut a small hole at the tip of the plastic bag and drizzle over danish. Directions: Pour water and milk in a cup and add egg. Beat with a fork to mix. I add the orange peel in this liquid mixture as well or any flavorings.Set aside. Put flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a large bowl and mix to incorporate. Cut butter in thin slices. Using a knife, cut butter slices into flour mixture.Pour liquids quickly using hands to fold the ingredients. (I usually mix with a fork, since the heat in the hands can melt the butter...and you don't want that!) Do not overdo the stirring ...you don't want the butter to melt into the dough. It will be sticky and sort of dry with lumps of butter at this point. Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight. Take dough out of fridge and let it get to room temperature. Roll out 20 inch square ( or thereabouts). The dough might be a bit scraggly but as you do the turns it will come together wonderfully. You want to see little butter pieces throughout the dough. This will make the pastry flaky.Fold into thirds (like a letter). Turn dough so that closed fold is on your left (like the spine of a book).Roll dough out again and repeat 3 more times ( I always do 4). Cut in 1/2 to yield 2 pastry doughs.You should see layers of dough when you cut it in half.Refrigerate covered for at least 30 minutes. Take out of fridge and roll into any shape you like. You can do a classical braided version by rolling out a rectangle size 1/4 in thick .On each side of the rectangle cut about 1/2 inch strips at a slant(sort of like making straight Christmas tree branches) leaving about a 2 inch space. You want them to be the same number of strips on the right side and on the left side. Place filling in the middle and braid overlapping the strips. Put on parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with egg glaze. Let rise till doubled (1-1/2 hrs). Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool add clear glaze . Let set and add sugar glaze.