Quick and Easy Danish Pastries
User Reviews
4.3
52 reviews
Good
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Prep Time
5 hrs
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Cook Time
20 mins
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Total Time
5 hrs 20 mins
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Servings
10 -12
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Course
Baked Goods
Quick and Easy Danish Pastries
Report
This recipe outlines the process to make danish pastries using a quick method for the dough, incorporating cold cubed butter pulsed into the flour to create a flaky texture. The filling blends toasted pecans, maple syrup, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt for a rich, sweet-spiced contrast. A maple syrup glaze adds shine and a mild sweetness after baking.
Description
The Quick and Easy Danish Pastries recipe combines a yeast-leavened dough with cold butter cut into the flour, creating layers that result in the characteristic flaky texture. After resting in the freezer briefly, the dough is rolled and shaped, then filled with a pecan and maple syrup mixture that offers a warm flavor profile with cinnamon and vanilla accents. The glaze, made from powdered sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla, is applied after baking to enhance sweetness and appearance.
The dough preparation starts by activating yeast in warmed milk, then mixing with flour and salt, followed by cold butter incorporated via pulses in a food processor. The dough shape and thickness affect baking time, so uniformity is suggested. The recipe advises careful attention during baking to prevent burning, as the pastries can brown quickly.
These pastries work well as a sweet breakfast or treat and benefit from the maple glaze that balances the nutty filling without excessive sweetness.
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Ingredients
- Danish pastry dough quick method
- 180 ml | 3/4 cup 6fl oz whole milk
- 1 dry active yeast about 1/2 tbsp, sachet
- 70 g | 1/3 cup caster sugar
- 1 egg large
- 250 g plain flour plus more for dusting and rolling
- 65 g white bread flour 1/2 cup
- 230 g unsalted butter cubed, cold
- 1 tsp salt
- pecan filling
- maple syrup filling
- 100 g pecans toasted
- 3-4 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter cold
- 6 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- maple syrup as glaze
- 4-5 tbsp Icing powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- water hot, if needed
Instructions
- Make the dough. Heat the milk for a few seconds in a microwave until just warm. Add the sugar and yeast and whisk to combine. Let it stand for 4-5 minutes until the yeast is frothy. Add the egg and lightly whisk together. Set aside.
- Put the flour and salt in the large bowl of the Magimix fitted with a metal blade (image 1).
- Add the cubed butter and briefly pulse a few times until mixture resembles chunky breadcrumbs.You want the butter to remain in pea sized pieces.
- Put the flour mixture in a large bowl (image 2) and add the milk/yeast mixture (image 3). Gently combine using a spatula until the dough comes together (image 4) but don't overwork it.
- Line your worktop with two large pieces of clingfilm (image 5). Tip the dough onto it and use the cling film to squash the dough into a square. Put in the freezer for 30-45 mins or until fairly firm but still pliable.
- Liberally dust your worktop and rolling pin with flour. Roll your dough out to a rectangle roughly three times as long as it is wide (image 6). Fold the short sides of the dough into the middle using a pastry scraper to help you if sticky. Rotate the dough by a quarter turn. Fold the short ends towards the center. Flip the dough over so the seams are underneath. Roll it out again repeating steps 5-7 a few times (minimum 4) until the dough starts to get elastic.
- Wrap the dough twice with cling film and rest in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight. You are now ready to use it.
- Make the filling. Put all the ingredients in the small bowl of the Magimix fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until the ingredients form a fairly coarse paste. Set aside until needed.
- Shape the pastries. Cut the dough in half. Keep the piece you aren’t using in the fridge until needed.
- Preheat the oven to 190C | 375F and line two large baking trays with greaseproof paper.
- Dust your worktop and rolling pin with flour. Roll the dough out to about 5cm (1/7 inch) thick and trim the edges.
- To create pinwheels, cut the dough into squares and make small cuts from the corner toward the centre of each square. Place about 2 tsp of the filling in the middle and fold every other point in towards the centre.
- To create plaits cut square or rectangle pieces of the dough. Place filling along the centre and cut strips on the diagonal either side of it (as shown above). Fold the strips alternately towards the middle to create the plait. Tuck the ends under or cut them off. Repeat making pastries with rest of the dough (or freeze it).
- Transfer onto the baking tray, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let them rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Brush some egg wash over the pastries. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and bake for 15-25 minutes, depending on size, until puffed and golden.
- Cool on a wire rack and brush with sieved apricot jam if you want a high shine.
- Mix all the ingredients for the glaze together, thinning with hot water if necessary, until think but pourable. Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the pastries.
Notes
- Shape all pastries to a similar size for even baking times.
- Monitor baking closely; pastries can brown quickly once near done.
- The maple glaze adds balanced sweetness compensating for the nutty filling.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.3
52 reviews
Good
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