Cream Filled Danish

My friend Becca is an amazing bread artisan. She brought me this homemade Danish one time and my family went gaga with excitement. It was like our Sunday morning Entenmanns...only way better and I was so excited when she shared her recipe with me. This recipe makes four pastries, so plan on freezing a couple for another day.

The ingredients:

PASTRY DOUGH:
1 cup butter
2 cups warm milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs. yeast
1/2 cup warm water (to dissolve yeast)
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
~8 cups flour (just enough to keep the dough from sticking to your hands)

CREAM FILLING:
1 cup milk
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. vanilla

In small saucepan on low heat whisk together sugar, salt, flour, egg yolk, and milk. Cook for 1 minute stirring constantly. Add vanilla. Let cool.

ALMOND FILLING:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cups sugar
2 tsp. almond extract

Mix all ingredients together.

GLAZE:
1 egg white, beaten

CRUMB TOPPING:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup chopped nuts

Combine together with fork into large crumbs.

ICING:
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbs. milk or water
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Mix all ingredients well until desired consistency.
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DIRECTIONS:
Place butter and sugar in large mixing bowl, pour heated milk over butter. Let stand while you mix yeast with 1/2 cup warm water and 1 Tbs. sugar. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes.

Add egg and yeast to butter/milk/sugar mixture. Add salt and flour. Beat together until you can barely handle dough without it sticking to your hands. (No kneading necessary)

Cover with cloth and let raise for 1-1/2 hours in warm place. Punch down and let raise for an additional 45 minutes.

Roll dough into a 10-inch x 15-inch rectangle.
Cut strips about 1-1/2 inches apart along the long sides of the rectangle. Spread cream filling covering the center of uncut section. Then place almond filling in chunks regularly on top of the cream filling. Fold in cut pieces.

Brush with egg whites.

Sprinkle with crumb topping and place in the oven. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until a very light golden brown.

Drizzle with icing and serve warm.

Enjoy!