My Mom's Classic Christmas Danish Rolls

The best part of doing my baking at home late at night, is finding unexpected little treasures left in my kitchen sink now and then. Case in point. December 7th. My son built an aircraft carrier and did an all-night water-tight exercise.  I somehow missed this adventure until I looked into the sink to wash a spoon. It is a good thing I didn't just slam the dough-wad into the sink. That would have been a great human tragedy. Not an epic tragedy mind-you, but a slight human tragedy. 

Another human tragedy would be not sharing my mother's recipe for Danish rolls here on the blog. We've enjoyed them my entire life and Christmas is probably the time I enjoy making them most. So, in the middle of relocating to a new house and figuring out where I put my camera...we made these.

They're an almond and chocolate filled breakfast delight. 

I'm not flying home to see mom and dad this year, so the pastries will have to do the job of bringing us together. 

My Mom's Traditional Danish pastry recipe

Dough:
1 Tablespoon yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1-1/4 cups cool water (not over 90 degrees)
4 cups pastry or all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup cold butter (cut into 1 inch pieces)
1 eggFilling:
1 cup butter (at room temperature)
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 cup ground almonds (Note: you can use almonds you grind in a food processor or almond flour)
Sliced almonds (optional)
Sanding sugar (optional)

 Place yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar into cool water (be sure it is not hotter than 90 degrees which will be cool to your wrist).  Let sit for 5-10 minutes or until yeast begins to bubble.  Meanwhile in food processer place flour, salt, and sugar.  Pulse to mix together.  Place butter into flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles cornmeal.  Pour mixture into large bowl and make a well in it.  Beat egg and add to yeast mixture.  In the flour well add the yeast/egg mixture.  Mix until ingredients until they come together (do not over mix at this point).  Place plastic wrap on mixture and let rest in the fridge for 1 hour.

Meanwhile make filling by mixing all of the filling ingredients together. 

 Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Take dough out of the fridge and divide into 4 parts. Press each part into a long strip on greased cookie sheet and spread with filling and roll long edges to create well to keep filling in.  .

 I personally like to cut one inch strips down the side of the roll and criss-cross the dough over the filling.

. Sprinkle each pastry strip with sanding sugar and sliced almonds (optional). I also lightly "paint" a little egg over the pastry once it has raised. This aids in the browning when it bakes.

Let pastry rise for 15 minutes and bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. 

There you go. Something warm for the holidays. It is a family classic around here.

Always  My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

5 More Roll Ideas!

 5 day Sweet Roll Dough like I did this week, I dang well better also show at least 5 new ways to make rolls, right?! Well, I did in my dinner roll class on Tuesday, but I know there are people all over the country and globe who read the blog and well...it's not your fault you couldn't make it to the class.  So here we go. In a roll marathon! Hopefully it gives you a lot of new ideas! Let your brain just soak it up. We're going to play.

I just figured that if I introduce a First a Windmill. Take 1/5th of the dough and roll it in a rectangle on a lightly floured counter top or board. It should measure approximately  15 inches by 9 inches. It will make 15 small pin-wheels if you cut it into 3 inch squares.  Cut a notch into the squares like this.  It will look like 4 triangles stuck together if you do it right. 

 Alternate windmill by going around the dough and pinching 4 corners in the middle of the square.

 Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or oiled well. Allow to raise 45 minutes to an hour. With your thumb, poke a hole in the middle of the roll and then dot with 1T pie filling or pastry filling of your choice.Lucky Leaf premium cherry is perfect for these, by the way. It's what I used today. Top with a light sprinkle of...

Chef Tess' Streusel Topping

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp almond flavor

Combine all ingredients and  mix with a fork until crumble topping is formed. Use as Streusel topping for pies, muffins and baked goods.

Bake 350 degrees 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven. I top with a light fruit glaze to get a nice shine. To do so, melt 1/2 cup apricot jelly with 2T water over a stove until liquid. With a pastry brush, apply warm glaze over rolls.

This next roll is actually a pretty classic design called a Flemish fruit square. You basically make that same square you used for the windmill, but tuck the corners in to the center instead of cutting a notch.

 Easy stuff.

 Transfer to a baking sheet, giving 1-2 inches space between rolls. Allow to raise on hour. Add a Tablespoon of Lucky Leaf  Premium cherry or Apple pie filling in the center of the roll just before baking. I also added a few nuts. Top with a little struesel and bake 350 degrees 20-25 minutes. I paint the hot rolls with a light fruit glaze to get a nice shine. To do so, melt 1/2 cup apricot jelly with 2T water over a stove until liquid. With a pastry brush, apply warm glaze over rolls.  You may frost them if desired.

 For twisted Danish. Take 1/5 dough and roll into a rectangle 12 inches by 8 inches. Lightly spread a thin layer of butter and spiced sugar on the dough. Cut into 1 inch strips for small danish or 2 inch strips for larger Danish.

 Twist the strip with your hand and roll into a snail design on the pan. Like so...

 Allow to raise 1 hour. Top with a Tablespoon of filling or just a cherry. Bake 230 degrees 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and glaze or frost as  desired.

Fan Rolls:
5 Day Bread Dough or the  5 day Sweet Roll Dough can also be used with herbs to make fan rolls. Now if you haven't seen a fan roll, It's basically a pull apart roll. Here's what they look like before baking. It appears I forgot to take a picture of the finished rolls. How odd.

Roll out 1/5 the dough into a 12 inch by 8 inch rectangle. Spread with 1/4 cup of soft butter and sprinkle with an herb blend of your choice. I love these with dill and onion. Very much. Too much.

 Cut the dough into 2 inch (4 across the 8 inch length).

 Stack the strips.

 Cut into 12 one inch rolls and place in a well greased muffin pan.

 Allow to raise until double and bake 350 degrees 20-25 minutes. Serve warm.

Last but not least...Salted Sweet Rolls.
These are by and far my favorite way to have the sweet roll dough. Divide 1/5 of the dough into 12 rolls and roll into balls. Place in a well oiled muffin tin and allow to raise about an hour. Whisk one egg with a pinch of salt and lightly "paint" the tops of the rolls with the egg wash. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.

 Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Serve warm.
There you go! Five new ways to do rolls! Enjoy and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Danish Aebleskivers and "Scandinavian Classic Baking" by Pat Sinclair

Just over a month ago as I was walking into the NBC 12 studio here in Phoenix, a charming woman named Pat Sinclair was finishing up her Arizona Mid-Day Segment.  I met her outside the studio and we started talking briefly, only to find a common passion as sisters in baking (oh laaaawd-koom-bye-yaaa...). We did not bust out our blocks of butter and nutmeg mills and set up base camp right there in the lobby (tempting as that might have been)...Oh be still my heart when she told me she had been on the show introducing her new book entitled "Scandinavian Classic Baking", and asked if I would be willing to read it. Could someone please pinch me now?! It was a pure stroke of Divine Intervention! Pat,  who is a food consultant with almost 25 years experience in test kitchens and recipe development, was offering the Bakeresse more ammo to bake with?! What's not to love about that? 

When the book arrived in the mail, I could hardly wait to pour over the many breathtaking photos and descriptions of this magnificent region. It felt like I was going home as I saw and read the many baking styles from country to country. Why did it feel like home?

I'll tell you why. When my mother, born and raised  of almost pure Danish descent brought home a Swedish-English fiancée...it could have ended badly. However, Dane's are know for their stubborn streaks, and mom was not an exception to that rule. She knew a good thing when she had it. I was born a few years later to both parents of Scandinavian decent. There it is folks. I am a Scandinavian Classic Baker! Pat Sinclair meeting me at the channel 12 studio was not just an accident. Her book of heirloom quality recipes falling into my hands has been like a breath of heaven. In fact, each new page and recipe made my heart almost sing. I wanted to jump a flying leap out of my chair, grab a wedge of Land-o-Lakes...I digress.  The final kicker was  near the end of the book. Aebleskivers. Moment of silence for the fat little Danish fingers of my childhood...daggumit. I love those little puff balls of love. What are they? Well, they're pure fluffy golden heaven in a swirly-whirly butter fried mass of joy. Lightly crisp on the outside with almost a popover note.  I used to eat them until I could see them in my sleep. *Used to* being the operative. Dang diets. Now we eat them on Christmas and birthdays.

  Danish grandmother Dorothy, mother of eleven children gave my mother a family heirloom aebleskeiver pan. 

Grandmother's Aebleskiver pan passed from mom's hands to mine at the time of my wedding. She shared her secrets to perfect Danish aebleskivers at the time as well. So, imagine my joy when I saw Pat's cookbook include a recipe of authentic Danish Aebleskivers! They are not just pancakes. They're almost a cross between a popover and a pancake. The flavor is mild and the texture should be exceptionally light and slightly sweet. The secret is the method. 

The  spelling is usually aebleskiver or ebleskiver. I saw some version of my beloved æbleskiver being sold with a commercially changed pan, It was branded as "Pancake Puffs" and stuffed with all kinds of filling...but truth be known, it wasn't grandma's recipe. Not even close. It was just a pancake.  I'm a pure freak. Pure freak. If you're calling it a classic, it better dang-tootin' be a classic. This one is. Pat Sinclair...you're my hero!

Danish Aebleskiver from

 Classic Scandinavian Baking by Pat Sinclair

yield 35 pancake balls

4 large eggs, separated

2T sugar

2 cups All purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups 2% milk

1/4 cup butter, softened

confectioners sugar

applesauce if desired

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until foamy. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add the flour and milk to the egg yolks and whisk until smooth.

Beat the egg whited in a large bowl with the electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. When you lift the beater, the whites will make peaks that fold back slightly.

Gently fold the egg whited into the batter until smooth. (Pat's book has a great tutorial on how to fold).

Get out great-great grandma's pan. Try not to cry. Remember you're loved...

Heat aebleskiver pan over medium heat until drops of water sizzle.  (You can use any ol' aebleskiver pan.)

 Place about 1/4 tsp butter in each cup. Add about 1/4 cup batter in each cup. Each cup will be about 3/4 full.

Pat uses a knitting needle to turn over her aebleskivers...I use one of these chop stick thingies...

Cook 1-2 minutes until bottom half is brown. Use the knitting needle (or chop stick) to slowly turn the balls to cook the other sides.  Balls are done when a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Turn out pancake balls onto plate and keep warm in a low oven. 

Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm

Be it braided breads or tarts, muffins or rolls...Pat Sinclair has won perhaps forever, my loyalty and love for her attention to detail and her wonderful book. Thank you Pat. From one baker to another...you have truly inspired! Anyone would be blessed to have this classic baking book in their home. Especially, however, anyone with an appreciation for the baking of the Scandinavian region. It really is an outstanding book. Chef Tess Bakeresse  Pulla Braid approved!

 Once again, special thanks to Pat Sinclair  who is a food consultant with almost 25 years experience in test kitchens and recipe development. Her newest cookbook, Scandinavian Classic Baking was published by Pelican Publishing in Spring 2011. Her first cookbook "Baking Basics and Beyond", published by Surrey Books, has been presented the Baking Cookbook Award for 2007 by the Cordon d’Or- Gold Ribbon Award International Annual Cookbooks and Culinary Arts Program. She has worked for corporate clients Land O'Lakes, Pillsbury and General Mills. She is currently working on her second cookbook, "The Ultimate Empty Nesters Cookbook". She also teaches cooking classes in the Twin Cities.

Buy Scandinavian Classic Baking here

Carmel Orange Hazelnut Danish...

There you are...the love of my life! These little bad boys are a butter-roll in Danish. The butter I infused with orange and lavender and then used brown sugar in the roll in, as is done with the Kouign Aman (Kouign Aman a Celebration in Opposites)--but the classical version uses granulated sugar. The brown sugar gave an amazing caramel addition to the already evil pastry! The result was a salty sweet infused love bomb. I can't EVER make them again or I will need to confess to my bishop. Seriously... I used the same recipe with an addition of a bit of sourdough and a much longer fermentation (2 days to be exact) which resulted in a deep flavor. Well worth the wait if you ask me! Because of this, I was able roll up the Danish and leave them on my kitchen counter overnight to rise. This lovely Christmas morning, we had hot pastry that I hardly had to think about...Though now I can't STOP thinking about.