Danish Recipe #1 - Pastry Braid (Weinerflata)

By

To make this mock braid, you start out with one batch of the basic Danish Pastry dough. The braid is shaped by slashing the edges of the rolled-out dough, and the resulting strips are folded over the filling.

View complete recipe

  • 2

Ingredients

  • BUTTERCREAM FILLING:
  • 1 recipe Danish Pastry, Classic or Quick method
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup pulverized almonds
  • 1 (3-ounce) package almond paste
  • 1 egg white
  • GLAZE:
  • 1 slightly beaten egg
  • 2 tablespoons milk or water
  • sanding sugar for topping
  • Chopped or sliced almonds for topping
  • ICING:
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons warm water
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Preparation

Step 1

Cover baking sheet with parchment paper.

Divide the chilled dough into 2 parts. Roll out each part to make a rectangle 12 x 6 inches. Place the 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 the filling down the length of the center of each strip. Cut slanting strips into the sides of each strip at 3/4-inch intervals along both sides up toward the center using a fluted pastry wheel. Fold the strips over the filling in a crisscross manner.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Let the dough rise for 15 to 30 minutes, just until the pastry appears puffy. It will not double. Beat the egg with the milk or water to make a glaze and brush the pastry lightly with it. Sprinkle with the sugar and/or the almonds.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden.

Frost, if desired with the almond icing. Blend the sugar, water and almond extract until smooth and thin enough to drizzle over the danish.

View complete recipe