Danish Pastry Wreath

(from Lucianolinda’s recipe box)

Source: farm bureau calendar

Categories: pastry

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup very warm water (105-115 degrees)
  • 2 pkg. active dry yeast
  • 1 egg
  • 3 3/4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
  • Filling
  • 1 can (8oz.) almond paste (1 cup)
  • 3/4 cup crushed zwieback (8)
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp. almond extract
  • 2 cups unsifted confectioners' sugar
  • 3 to 4 Tbsp. milk
  • Candied red cherries
  • Angelica bits (a herb)

Directions

  1. In bowl, with wooden spoon beat butter and 1/4 cup flour until smooth. Spread on waxed paper (on wet surface) to 12 by 8 inch rectangle. Refrigerate on cookie sheet. Heat milk slightly. Add sugar and salt, stir to dissolve. Cool to lukewarm.
  2. Check temperature of water with thermometer. Pour into large bowl; sprinkle with yeast; stir to dissolve. Stir in milk mixture, egg and 3 cups flour; beat with wooden spoon until smooth. Mix in rest of flour with hands until dough leaves side of bowl.
  3. Refrigerate, covered, 1/2 hour. turn onto lightly floured pastry cloth; with covered rolling pin, roll into 16 × 12-inch rectangle. Place chilled butter mixture on half of dough; remo9ve paper. Fold other half of dough over butter; pinch the edges to seal.
  4. With fold at right, roll out from center to a 16 × 8 inch rectangle.

  5. From short side, fold dough into thirds, making three layers; seal edges; chill 1 hour. Repeat rolling and folding (if butter breaks through, brush with flour); seal edges. Chill 1/2 hour.

  6. Roll; fold again; seal edges; chill, wrapped in foil, 3 hours or over-night. Roll half of dough into 22 × 8 inch strip. (Chill other half.) Cut into thirds lengthwise. Mix filling ingredients. Fill center of each strip with 1/3 cup; close edges over filling. Braid.
  7. Form wreath, 6 inches across in center, on brown paper on cookie sheet; seal ends. Let rise in warm place 1 hour—until doubled. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake 1/2 hour. Cool slightly on rack. Mix sugar and milk; spread half over pastry. Decorate.

  8. makes 2

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