Processor Danish Pastries

I have made this processor danish pastry recipe from Nigella Lawson a number of times now. There are quite a few steps to making these but in the end it is well worth the time it takes to make them. These have been a huge hit with the hubby's co-workers and especially with my father in law, I end up making these for him fairly often.

Nigella's original recipe has an almond filling that she makes for the pastries, I made that the first time but even though I really loved the almond filled pastries I found that the hubby and father in law much preferred a cherry and cream cheese filling. I have included the recipe for the almond filling, but my pictures are of the cherry danishes.


Danish Pastry recipe:
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk at room temp
1 large egg at room temp
2 1/4 cups white bread flour
1 package rapid rise yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into slices

Almond filling:
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons banched almonds, toasted
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons icing sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 large egg white

Clear glaze:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Sugar glaze:
1/2 cup icing sugar
1-2 tablespoons warm water

Beat egg, water and milk together, set aside. Put flour, yeast, salt and sugar into food processor and pulse to mix, add the cold slices of butter and process until the butter is cut up, empty into a bowl and add the milk mixture. Fold together, cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator overnight or up to 4 days.


To turn into pastry, let it get to room temp, roll into a rectangle


fold into thirds turning it afterwards so that the closed fold is on your left. Roll out again to a rectangle and repeat the steps above 3 times.




Cut in half, cover and put in refrigerator for 30 minutes




To make the almond filling, toast the almonds, then process with the icing sugar until finely ground. Add the butter then process again, then the almond extract and egg white.
Roll out pastry into a large square and cut into 9 equal squares


Take each sqaure and put a tablespoon of the almond mixture or fruit filling onto the pastry


Bring up the opposite corners and pinch together, then flatten the pastry slightly.
Place on baking sheets and brush with the egg glaze, leave them to rise until they have doubled in size (about 90 minutes)


Preheat the oven to 350, cook for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
To make the clear glaze heat the water and sugar to boiling and then brush on pastries.

To make the sugar glaze, add the water to the icing sugara little at a time to make a runny icing, when they have cooled drizzle over the sugar glaze.



See other recipes at The Grocery Cart Challenge