Bear Claws

Can also be made with Claccic Danish Pastry(Viennabrod)

Ingredients

• 1 recipe Danish pastry (Quick Method)
• 1 recipe Filling & Decoration
• Danish Pastry:
• 3 1/4 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chilled unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup warm water (105*F.to 115*F.)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or undiluted evaporated milk
• 1/2 tsp. freshly crushed cardamon sees(optional)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• Filling and decoration:
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup almond paste
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 slightly beaten egg to brush bearclaws
• pearl sugar or crushed sugar cubes for topping
• sliced almonds for topping

Directions

Danish Pastry:
Measure 3 1/2 cups flour into a bowl, or into the work bowl of the food processor with the steel blade in place. Cut the butter into 1/4 inch slices and add to the flour. Process or cut the butter into the flour until the butter is the size of Kidney beans.

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in the cream or milk, cardamon, salt, eggs and sugar. Turn the flour-butter mixture into the liquid ingredients, and with a rubber spatula mix carefully just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours, over night, or up to 4 days.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board;dust with flour. Pound and flatten to make a 16-to20-inch square. Fold into thirds making three layers. Turn dough around and roll out again. Fold from the short sides into thirds. This should result in a perfect square. Repeat folding and rolling again if you wish. Wrap and chill the dough 30 minutes or as long as overnight. For the filling, shaping and baking, follow directions in the recipe that follows.

Cover 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease and flour them.

On a lightly floured surface,roll the chilled pastry out to make an 18X16 inch rectangle. Cut lengthwise into 4 strips.

In a small bowl, beat the egg white, add the almond paste and powdered sugar, and mix until smooth and blended.

Spread about 2 Tbsp. filling down the center of each strip. Fold strips lengthwise to enclose the filling. Roll lightly to flatten and seal the edges. Cut each strip into 4 inch lengths. Make 7 cuts on each of the 4-inch lengths, cutting from the sealed edgetoward the center. Place pieces on the prepared baking sheets, curving them slightly to separate the slits.

Let rise in a cool place until puffy, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.

To bake, preheat oven to 400*F. Brush pastries with beaten egg, then sprinkle generously with sugar and almonds. Bake 5 to 8 minutes until golden. Remove from baking sheets and cool on wire rack. Best served warm.Makes 16 Bear Claws

Submitted 6/13/05.
Source: Old Scandinavian Recipe-updated
Submitted By: Eileen
crzylegs@erols.com
Bear Claws