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Danish Puff (Easy Danish Pastry Recipe)

Servings: 10-12
Comments:
My friend Sharon gave me this Danish Puff to try. Very delicious. I asked her for the recipe so I could make it myself. It wasn't as hard as I thought. You can experiment with other flavors besides the almond extract, and top with any chopped nuts of your choice.


Ingredients:
Pastry:
1/2 cup (1 stick/4 oz./113g) butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour (or self-rising flour may be used, if desired)
2 tbsp. water

Custardy Topping:
1/2 cup (1 stick/4 oz./113g) butter
1 cup water
1 tsp. almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour (or self-rising flour may be used, if desired)
3 eggs

Glaze and Nut Topping:
Powdered Sugar Glaze (see recipe below)
Chopped nuts (slivered almonds are great)


Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C.

For the Pastry:
Cut the first 1/2 cup butter into the first 1 cup flour until mixture is the size of small peas. Sprinkle mixture with the 2 tbsp. water then mix with fork.

Gather dough into a ball; divide in half. Pat each half of dough into a 12 x 3-inch rectangle. Place both rectangles of dough on an ungreased cookie sheet (each rectangle of dough should be about 3 inches apart.)

Custardy Topping:
In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the second 1/2 cup butter and the 1 cup water to a rolling boil; remove from heat. Quickly stir in almond extract and the second 1 cup flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute; remove from heat. Add the eggs; beat until smooth and glossy.

Spread half of the topping over each unbaked rectangle. Bake in preheated oven until topping is crisp and brown, about 1 hour; cool.

Note:
Topping will shrink and fall, forming the custardy top.

Spread each baked rectangle with Powdered Sugar Glaze (recipe follows), then sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Powdered Sugar Glaze

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (icing sugar)
2 tbsp. (1/4 stick/1 oz./28g) butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp. warm water

Instructions:
In a mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, softened butter (or margarine, if using) and the vanilla extract. Stir in the warm water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and of desired consistency. Pour or spread glaze over the baked puffs.

Makes 10-12 servings.


Source: My friend Sharon
Submitted By: Kathy Lamb
Date: March 3, 2008