Recipe - Blueberry Cheese Danish Pastries

FOR THE DANISH PASTRY
Two 1/4ounce packages; (5
teaspoons) active
; dry yeast
2/3 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
3 lg Egg yolks
2 teaspoon Vanilla
2/3 cup Milk
3 Three fourths cup Allpurpose flour
3 Sticks cold unsalted butter;
cut into bits (1
; One half cups)

FOR THE FILLING
8 ounce Cream cheese; softened
One fourth cup Granulated sugar
1 lg Egg yolk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
One fourth teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoon Freshly grated orange zest
1 teaspoon Freshly grated lemon zest
2 tablespoon Allpurpose flour

FOR THE GLAZE
1 One fourth cup Confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice; up to 3

Make the Danish pastry:

In a large bowl proof the yeast with One fourth cup warm water for 5
minutes, or until it is foamy, and stir in the sugar, the salt, the
yolks, the vanilla, and the milk. Add 3 One fourth cups of the flour,
stirring until the dough is combined well (it will be soft and
slightly sticky), and chill the dough, covered, for 1 hour. On a cool
surface (preferably marble) beat the butter with a rolling pin until
it is smooth but still cold, add the remaining One half cup flour, and
blend the mixture quickly until it is smooth. Working quickly, form
the butter mixture into a 6inch square and chill it, wrapped in
plastic wrap, for 15 to 30 minutes, or until it is firmer but still
malleable. On a wellfloured surface roll the dough into a 12inch
square, lay the butter diagonally in the center of the square, and
fold the corners of the dough tightly over the butter like an
envelope, enclosing the butter completely. Brush off any excess flour
and pinch the edges of the dough together to seal them. With the
rolling pin flatten the doug h gently with uniform impressions and
roll it from the center away from you to within One half inch of the end.
Turn the strip 180° and roll the dough again from the center away
from you to within One half inch of the end. Continue to roll the dough in
this manner until it forms an 18by 8inch rectangle. (It is
important not to roll over the ends in this first rolling to help the
later formation of even layers of butter and dough.) Brush off any
excess flour from the dough, fold the top quarter of the rectangle
down to the center of the strip, and fold the bottom quarter of the
rectangle up to the center, leaving about One half inch between the 2
ends. Fold the top half of the dough over the bottom to close the
dough like a book. Turn the dough 90° so a short side faces you,
roll it again into an 18 by 8inch rectangle, and fold it in the
same manner. This completes 2 "turns." Chill the dough, wrapped in
plastic wrap, for 1 hour. Make 2 more turns in the same manner,
always beginning with a short side facing you and chilling the dough,
wrapped in plastic wrap, for 1 hour between each turn. Chill the
dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Make the filling:

In a bowl beat together the cream cheese, the sugar, the yolk, the
vanilla, the salt, the zests, and the flour until the mixture is
smooth and chill the filling, covered, for at least 1 hour and up to
24 hours.

Roll half the dough into a 16 by 8inch rectangle, trim the edges
evenly, and cut the rectangle into eight 4inch squares. Stretch 2
opposite corners of each square slightly to lengthen the dough and
form flaps that will enclose the filling. Roll out, cut, and stretch
the remaining dough in the same manner. Spoon 1 tablespoon of filling
onto the center of each square of dough, sprinkle about 1 1/2
tablespoons of the blueberries over it, and brush the flaps with some
of the egg wash. Fold 1 of the flaps across the berries, fold the
other flap across the berries in the opposite direction, overlapping
the first flap, and tuck the second flap under the Danish. Brush the
Danish pastries with the egg wash, arrange them about 3 inches apart
on lightly buttered baking sheets, and let them stand for 1 hour.
Bake the Danish pastries in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven
for 30 to 35 minutes, or until they are crisp and golden.

Make the glaze while the Danish pastries are baking:

In a bowl whisk together the confectioners' sugar, sifted, and enough
of the lemon juice to make a thick but pourable glaze.

Transfer the Danish pastries to a rack and drizzle some of the glaze
over each pastry. The Danish pastries may be cooled to room
temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap and foil, and frozen for 1
month. Transfer the Danish pastries to a baking sheet and bake them
in the middle of a preheated 400°F. oven for 5 minutes, or until
they are heated through.

Makes 16 Danish pastries.

Gourmet July 1990

Posted to MMRecipes Digest V4 #10 by recipes@escape.ca on Mar 23,
1999