Raspberry and Almond Danish

Ok. This is handsdown the best thing I have made so far. The pastry dough is pure perfection, combined with the sweet almond and tart raspberry fillings and three different kind of glazes, a bite of this takes you into food nirvana. Despite the fact that this is heaven on a plate, it is also the most elaborate baking I did so far. It is not super difficult it just takes a while. The process of getting to a great Danish pastry is a similar to the buttery mess when making croissants. But you know what say: a little butter a day, keeps the doctor away! That is what they say, right? Now, I know this has not even popped up in your minds yet, but I love me an excuse for any festivity, so how about this for Easter brunch? Or just any ole Sunday morn’?

Ingredients

Pastry                                                                               
60ml warm water                                                                                           
120ml milk                                                                         
1 egg
270g all-purpose flour or white bread flour (type 550)                     
1 package rapid-rise yeast                                              
1 tsp. salt                                                                             
1 tbsp. sugar
225g butter, cold and diced      

                                                   

Almond filling                       
70g blanched and ground almonds                                           
40g powdered sugar
1 egg white
2 tbsp. butter
½ tsp. almond extract

Raspberry  filling
A pint of raspberries
2 tbsp. sugar
vanilla extract

Egg wash
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp. milk

Clear glaze
40g sugar

60ml water

Sugar glaze

60g powdered sugar

1tsp. milk

Gee, seemed like this list would never end. But it’s worth it, I promise. After all, this recipe is adapted by the divine Nigella Lawson. Pastry time: we are taking a short cut here. Whisk the liquid ingredients together (egg and milk at room temperature) and put aside. Than put the rest into a processor, blitz for a second and put the cold and diced butter in. Process until butter is cut up but there are still visible buttery lumps. I am sure there are other ways to do this, this is just the shortest one, but be my guest and be creative. Now pour the liquid ingredients in and mix until everything is roughly combined (again, keep the butter lumps). Leave in a bowl in the fridge overnight. Yes. I know having this patience is hard. But please do. 

Right, next morning, take out the fridge and roll it out on a generously flour-dusted surface, because the butter still makes it a gooey mess. That’s a good thing though. Fold the dough into thirds, turn it and roll out again. Do that at least 3 times more (just keep on dusting with flour against the stickiness). Cut in half, and freeze one of the dough balls so you can have instant joy to satisfy your later cravings. Put the remaining half in the refrigerator and start making the fillings.

Almond filling: basically mix or process everything together til you got what is really homemade marzipan. Raspberry filling: let everything bubble away in a sauce pan for a minute- done. Now Take out the dough, roll out cut into 6 squares, fill with the almond filling in diagonal and a tsp. of raspberry jam and fold the opposite corners together. You think this is it, but no, you leave for another 40 min. to rise and make the glazes. Egg wash: easy, whisk together and brush on before baking. Clear glaze: bring to a short boil in a saucepan and leave to cool a bit. Sugar glaze: make icing. You know how to do that since kindergarten.

Bake at a 175°C oven for 15 min., let cool just a bit, than brush on the clear glaze and ice on the sugar glaze in thin lines. By this point you are probably thinking, why Julia? Why did you make me jump through all of this hoops? Do you dislike me that much? Well, my sweethearts, just have a bite and you’ll know, I have nothing but love for you!