Yes I know this one is a stretch. But Jess really loves raspberry danish you guys, and I wanted to make some for her. So, this week, we're using its brief product-placement-mention in Ant Man & The Wasp as an excuse to whip up batch after batch of this delectable dessert of Denmark.
Ingredients
Butter Dough Ingredients:
450 g french Butter
659 g all-purpose flour
67 g sugar
12 g instant yeast
75 ml lukewarm water
230 ml cold full-fat milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Kosher salt
Cheese Filling Ingredients:
100 g cream cheese
100 g ricotta
1 large egg
35 g sugar
Kosher salt
Glaze Ingredients:
2 cups confectioners sugar
¼ - ½ cup skim milk
Other fillings:
Raspberry jam (or jam of choice)
Method
Butter Dough Method:
In the bowl of a stand mixer goes 659 grams of all-purpose flour and 30 grams of the french butter. Work the butter into the flour with both hands.
Add in 67 grams of sugar and 12 grams of instant yeast. Whisk together.
Once mixed, add 75 ml of lukewarm water, 230 ml of cold full-fat milk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2 large eggs.
Mix together with 15 grams of kosher salt and mix until completely combined with no dry spots remaining, about 2 minutes.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rest to make the butter squares.
On two sheets of floured parchment paper, place the remaining halves of the 450 g of French butter and use a rolling pin to pound out to a thickness of 1-2 cm.
Open the parchment paper, fold the butter in half and reflour as necessary and pound out again. A sum total of 4 times. Rinse and repeat with the other half of the butter.
On a well floured surface, pour out the dough and use a bench scraper shape it into a rectangle. Roll it out to 3x its width.
Place the first piece of butter in the middle of the dough. Fold on the side over it. Lay the second butter rectangle on top. Dust the excess flour off, and fold the remaining third of the dough over. Pinch the edges shut.
Roll the dough out to the same width as before (3x its width). Brush off any excess flour. Fold once again into thirds.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Unwrap. Roll out as before. Fold into thirds again. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-16 hours.
Cut into desired portions and roll out for final assembly.
Cheese Filling Method:
In a large bowl, combine 100 grams each of cream cheese and ricotta along with 1 large egg, 35 grams of sugar and a generous pinch of kosher salt. Whisk to combine.
Entenmann’s Method/Assembly:
Cut into a 13x6” rectangle before cutting out 3 1” wide strips. Brush off any excess flour. Brush the strips down with a beaten egg.
Lay one strip in the middle of the rectangle with the other two strips flanking it.
Place on a rimmed baking sheet and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let proof for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, remove the plastic wrap and pipe in the cheese mixture and raspberry jam.
Brush the whole thing down with a beaten egg. Bake at 400°F for 15-18 minutes.
For the frosting, add 2 cups of confectioners sugar and add in a little skim milk at a time until the right consistency is reached.
Lightly drizzle the glaze over the pastry until lightly covered and serve.
Danish Braid Method/Assembly:
Using another half batch of dough and roll out to a thickness of 1 cm.
Trim into a rectangle and make diagonal cuts down the side of the pastries (about 2 cm wide) and leaving a gap in the middle of the pastry.
Pipe the cheese mixture and raspberry jam down the center of the pasty.
Fold the top down on top of the filling followed by folding the strips diagonal over the filling alternating left to right.
Tuck the bottom underneath the last two strips. Cover with greased plastic wrap and proof for 1 hour.
Brush down with a beaten egg and bake at 400°F for 15-18 minutes on the middle rack.
Place onto a wire rack to cool completely before drizzling with glaze. Slice and serve.
Multiple Shaped Danish Pastries Folding Methods/Assembly:
Using another half batch of dough and roll out to a thickness of 1 cm. Slice it into even squares.
Fold in half diagonally. Place two cuts down the side leaving a gap at the end. Brush off any excess flour.
Brush down with a beaten egg. Separate both flaps and fold them over.
Place four cuts from each corner leaving a gap in the center. Brush with a beaten egg. Fold each half of the triangle towards the center in alternating fashion.
Place 90 degree cuts in each corner leaving a gap between them. Brush down with a beaten egg yolk. Fold the loosened corners towards the center.
Brush down the square with egg yolk folding each side of the square towards the center.
Fill each pastry shape with cheese mixture and raspberry jam before baking at 400°F for 15-18 minutes.
Cool completely on a wire rack before glazing and serving.