Danish Pastries, Vanilla Custard, Almond and Cream Cheese Fillings, Butter Cream Fros

Danish Pastries, Vanilla Custard, Almond and Cream Cheese Fillings, Butter Cream Frosting


Servings: 24 to 30 pastries
Ingredients Preparation

3/4 cup [190 mL] milk, scalded
1/3 cup [65 g] sugar
2 teaspoons [10 mL] salt
1/3 cup [75 g] butter
2 [1/4-ounce / 7-g] packages dry yeast
1/4 cup [60 mL] lukewarm water
1/2 teaspoon [2.5 mL] almond extract
3 eggs, beaten
4 1/2 cups [630 g] all-purpose flour
1 cup [225 g] butter
Canned apple, cherry or blueberry pie filling, optional
1 cup [200 g] sugar, to sprinkle
2 tablespoons [30 mL] or less cinnamon, to sprinkle

Vanilla Custard Filling

1 cup [250 mL] light cream
1 tablespoon [8.75 g] all-purpose flour
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons [30 g] sugar
2 teaspoons [10 mL] vanilla extract

Almond Filling

1 [8-ounce / 227-g] can almond paste
1 cup [250 mL] icing sugar
1 egg

Cream Cheese Filling

8 ounces [227 g] cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup [100 g] sugar
Vanilla extract, to taste

Butter Cream Frosting [optional]

1/2 cup [115 g] butter, softened
1 cup [250 mL] icing sugar, sifted



Combine scalded milk, sugar, salt, and butter; leave to cool until lukewarm.
Into a large bowl, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water.
Stir almond extract into beaten eggs.
Add lukewarm milk mixture to yeast and then add beaten eggs mixture.
Gradually stir in flour.
Spoon dough into a greased 9 x 13-inch [23 x 33-cm] pan.
Refrigerate, covered, for 1 to 2 hours.
Meanwhile, prepare vanilla, almond and/or cream cheese fillings.
Turn chilled dough onto a floured board.
Roll into a 12 x 16 inches [30 x 40 cm] rectangle.
Spread 1/3 cup [75 g] of the butter over 2/3rds of rolled dough.
Fold unspread 1/3rd dough over half of the spread dough.
Fold over remaining third.
Repeat this procedure two more times rolling dough to 12 x 16-inches [30 x 40 cm] each time.
Return dough to refrigerator and chill overnight.
Prepare vanilla, almond and cream cheese fillings.
Preheat oven to 375°F [190°C].
Divide dough in half.
Roll into a 14 x 9 inches [36 x 23 cm] rectangle.
Using a pastry cutter, cut dough into 14 x 1/4-inch [36-cm x 6-mm] strips.
Twist then shape each strip into a roll or a circle building up sides; arrange onto a greased cookie sheet.
Repeat with remaining dough.
Fill shells with choice of pie filling or fillings.
Combine sugar and cinnamon; evenly sprinkle over pastries.
Cover and leave pastries to rise into warm environment away from drafts, until doubled in bulk.
Bake pastries into preheated oven for 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, if desired, prepare butter cream frosting.
If desired, drizzle or frost baked pastries with butter cream frosting.

Vanilla Custard Filling

Into a saucepan, combine cream, flour, egg yolks, and sugar.
Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened and smooth.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla; leave to cool completely.

Almond Filling

Mix together all the ingredients until well blended.

Cream Cheese Filling

Beat softened cream cheese.
Into a clean bowl, beat egg until thick before beating in sugar and vanilla extract.
Add to cream cheese and mix well.

Butter Cream Frosting [optional]

Beat together softened butter and sifted icing sugar until smooth.