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