“This is a very elegant looking dessert and is always a tremendous hit. It’s not to hard to make either. A good hint – dampen hands with water to help in shaping the lower crust, and a rubber spatula works well for putting the top layer on. A favorite of my husband to bring in to work.” – Calla Ferre
“One of my favorite that Mom would make. I’d eat an entire coffee cake on my own if I didn’t control myself. I’ve brought this to rehearsals with the Davis Chorale for our break. Goes great with coffee or tea in the morning.” – April Ferre
Danish Puff Pastry
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1/2 Cup Butter Softened
- 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Tablespoons Water
Topping:
- 1/2 Cup Butter
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 Teaspoon Almond Extract
- 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 3 Eggs
Powdered Sugar Glaze:
- 1 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Margarine or Butter Softened
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons Water Warm
- Almonds Sliced
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Crust:
- Cut butter into flour until particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle water over flour mixture; mix with fork.
- Gather pastry into a ball; divide into halves. Pat each half into a 12×3-inch long rectangle on an ungreased cookie sheet. Rectangles should be about 3 inches apart.
Topping:
- Heat butter and water to a rolling boil; remove from heat.
- Quickly stir in almond extract and flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute; remove from heat.
- Add eggs; beat until smooth and glossy. Spread half of the topping over each rectangle.
- Bake until topping is crisp and brown, about 1 hour; cool. (Topping will shrink and fall, forming the custardy top).
Powdered Sugar Glaze:
- Mix togther powdered sugar, margarine or butter and vanilla.
- Stir in warm water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and of desired consistency.
Assembly:
- Spread pastries with powdered sugar glaze; sprinkle with nuts.
- Makes 2 Coffee Cakes (5 to 6 servings each).
Notes
Self-rising flour can be used in this recipe.
Recipe – Calla Ferre – From Gold Metal Century of Success Cookbook, 1979
