Danish Pastry Dough and Rolls

 I have loved baking and eating Danish pastries for many years.  I think I first made them in the early 1980's and still love to make them.   There are many recipes out there, but this is one that works best for me.   Most recipes for laminated dough calls for rolling the butter into large sheets, but I have found that the way I make them here is a lot easier and also a bit less fiddly.   As for fillings, the sky is the limit, so go wild.   I do recommend that you not use something that is very liquid when heated, as it tends to run everywhere.  If you want a fruit filling, I would recommend something that is cooked and very thick, like a pie filling.   I particularly like cherry pie filling and spring for the one with extra fruit.   A very thick fruit butter would work well, too.   Another good recommendation, are the Solo brand fillings.   

Danish Pastry Dough

5 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

½ cup sugar

2 tbsp dry yeast, instant works fine

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp softened butter

l lb of softened butter

Mix together the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the liquids with the tablespoon of butter. Mix and knead until it forms a smooth and elastic dough. If dough is too soft, use up to another cup of flour, but don't make it too firm. Cover tightly and refrigerate about 30 minutes. It will not rise much. Remove from the bowl and place on a well floured counter top and roll out to about a 9x18 inches. Smear the softened butter in a thick all over 2/3 the rolled out dough. Fold the dough the unbuttered portion of dough over half of the buttered section, then the other buttered 1/3 of dough over that, like folding a letter. Place in a container or wrap carefully in plastic wrap or foil. Gently place in the coldest part of your fridge about 30 minutes. Unwrap dough and, starting from the narrow side, roll out again to about 9x18 inches. Fold again like before, cover and chill another 30 minutes. Repeat at least once more. After the final roll and fold, chill for 2-3 hours before using.

When ready to bake, cut dough into three pieces. Roll out about ¼ inch thick rectangle and cut into squares. Fold the corners into the center and press the points firmly in the center. Place on an ungreased baking sheet or line the baking sheet with parchment paper for easier clean after baking. Allow to rise about 45 minutes or until puffy. Form a depression in the center for whatever filling you wish to use, place about a teaspoon of filling in the hole, then bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees, for about 20 minutes. When lightly browned, remove from the oven and place on a rack, then glaze. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Options: For another way to add the butter layer to the dough. Slice cold butter into thin slices, then place the slices of butter on 2/3 of the rolled out dough, fold and roll as above.

Fillings: Cream cheese... 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, beaten with 1 egg yolk, about half a cup of powdered sugar, ½ tsp of vanilla extract and a couple drops of almond extract (optional). Beat until smooth.  Pie filling of your choice.  Apples cooked with brown sugar and cinnamon until very thick.A good thick jam.

Roll out dough, sprinkle heavily with brown sugar and cinnamon, then roll up and cut into slices. Bake after rising.

Top any of the rolls with a powdered sugar glaze as you desire or you can just sprinkle with powdered sugar.    If you wish, you could could also sprinkle a butter, sugar and flour streusel on top of your filling of choice before baking. 

 

Calabacitas or Summer Squash and Corn

 A lovely Mexican and Mexican American summer dish, made with summer squash and zucchini, cooked with green chiles, bacon and corn.   

4 cups diced yellow squash and zucchini squash, mixed together

about 2 cups fresh or frozen corn cut off the cob 

4 slices of bacon cooked until crisp, then set aside

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

3-? cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped (use as much as you like)

about 1/4 cup, seeded and chopped green chiles of whatever heat level you prefer, I like to use roasted Hatch green chiles when available.    you can use more chiles if you wish, I often use ½ to 1 cup if the chiles are milder in flavor

1 cup heavy cream 

3-4 tbsp. bacon fat left from cooking the bacon

 Cook the bacon until crisp and set aside.   Remove all but 3-4 tbsp of the bacon fat from the pan.   Cook the onion,  and squash until lightly browned, stirring often.  Add the garlic and green chiles, cooking until the garlic is fragrant.    Add the corn and cook until the squash and corn are both tender.   Add the heavy cream and reduce the heat, cooking until the mixture is nearly dry.   Salt and pepper to taste.   Serve as a side dish or even as a main dish for a Mexican/Southwest themed meal.   It is addictive. 

 If you wish to add a protein to it, add cooked diced or shredded chicken, whatever amount you have or wish.   Some people will top this with cheese, but I find that with the cream it is gilding the lily.    

Dolci di Noci or Italian Nut Cookies

 

Italian Nut Cookies/Dolci di Noci

2 room temperature egg whites

½ teaspoon of cream of tartar

pinch of salt

¾ cup white sugar

3 cups finely ground nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, etc)

a few drops of both vanilla and almond extract (optional)

1 tablespoon corn starch

powdered sugar for the balls, about ¼ cup

Whip the the egg whites with the cream of tartar and salt until just starting to inflate, don't whip until stiff. Stir in the remaining ingredients (except powdered sugar) until well mixed and the egg whites are well incorporated. You can either bake now or chill for a while.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Take about 1 tablespoon of the dough and form into a ball. Roll the ball of dough in the powdered sugar and place on the cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the sides are just lightly browned. Remove the parchment sheet to a rack to cool. Do not attempt to remove the cookies until completely cooled. Store in a tight container. This should make about 2 dozen cookies, according to how big you make the balls.

For the nuts, place whole or pieces of nuts in a food processor and process until it looks kinda like wet sand. Do not over process or you will end up with nut butter. You can also use premade nut flours, but the freshly ground ones will have a better flavor.

Granny Sielert's Applesauce Cake

 

Growing up in Poplar Bluff, we had some awesome neighbors. One in particular, Granny Sielert, was more like family than just a friend. I was going through some of my mom's old recipes and found one that I hadn't seen before, it is titled "Granny Sierlert's applesauce cake".  You can tell it is an old time one, by the use of lard instead of butter or shortening.   The recipe, like a lot of old recipes, took a bit of deciphering, but this is it. Sounds like it would be a good one.

 

Cream together: 2 cups sugar, 1 cup lard (you can use half butter) and 2 eggs.

Mix together 2 cups unsweetened applesauce with 2 teaspoons baking soda and set aside.

Mix together in a large bowl, 3 cups flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp. cocoa powder, and 1 tsp. salt.

Beat the lard, sugar and eggs together, then add the applesauce, mixture and dry ingredients. Beat in the 1 cup raisins and 1 cup nuts (walnuts or pecans). Bake in a well greased tube pan at 350 degrees for about an hour.  Cool in the pan about 10-15 minutes before removing and cooling completely.  

Creamed peas and new potatoes

 Growing up, creamed peas or creamed new potatoes were a springtime treat.  We rarely grew green peas in the garden, but when we did they were well received.    We more often grew potatoes and new potatoes were considered quite special.    If we happened to have both at the same time, they were often fixed together as one dish and are so very good when done this way.   You can also add other vegetables, such as carrots or pearl onions.   In times past, creamed vegetables were a popular way to serve vegetables and old cookbooks have numerous recipes for making them, the main way was to cook the vegetables in water until tender, drain and add to a plain cream sauce.    I sometimes will use more than one vegetable when doing this dish, for example, green peas mixed with carrots and the potatoes.  If you want to switch things up a bit, you can add cheese to the cream sauce.   You can even make the creamed vegetables, put into a baking dish, top with cheese and bake until browned.    

4 tbsp. Butter

3 tbsp. Flour

2 cups milk or half and half

salt and pepper to taste

3-4 cups cooked peas

Heat the butter in a largish sauce pan and then add flour. Cook a minute or two, then whisk in the milk and simmer until it thickens. Add the cooked peas and simmer a couple more minutes over very low heat. Salt and pepper to taste, then serve.

If you wish to add the potatoes. Wash and peel, or leave unpeeled if you prefer. Simmer in water until tender. Drain very well, cover the pan and allow to sit for a few minutes while you prepare the white sauce and peas. Stir the potatoes into the finished creamed peas, taste for seasoning and serve.  Or just add the cooked potatoes to a cream sauce with out the peas.   

To make this a cheese sauce, add a cup to cup and a half of grated cheddar and a tablespoon or two of Parmesan to the hot cooked cheese sauce, stirring until the cheese has melted and fully incorporated into the sauce.   Use as above.