The Daring Bakers hosts truly have us globe trotting without buying a ticket. We have gone French in the past, with Bread and the [Opera](http://mydiv
The Daring Bakers hosts truly have us globe trotting without buying a ticket. We have gone French in the past, with Bread and the Opera, and this time we’re doing Danish!
Welcome to this month’s Daring Bakers Challenge and my fifth one. Kelly of Sass and Veracity and Ben of What’s Cookin set us to make some Danish pastry this month. As usual, this is another cooking/ baking direction I’ve never gone before. But this time was a bit different for me. I went into the challenge knowing what a Danish pastry looked and tasted like!!
As usual, we were provided with lots of information regarding the history and also links and details for working with Danish pastry. And a recipe to bake by.
I’m not reproducing the recipe here to keep this post from being too long and boring everyone with a recipe seen on countless blogs. Please see the Daring Bakers site for the original challenge recipe.
The dough: Of course, we started the challenge with the making of the dough (Detrempe). I didn’t use any vanilla beans because they are not available here and sourcing them from elsewhere would have proved expensive. Then Rachel, a fellow DB, offered to send me some but I had finished baking my Danish pastry by then.
So I used double the amount of vanilla extract (3 tsps) instead. There were no oranges to be found at the market (not the season for them here), so I used the zest/ rind of some lemons and unsweetened orange juice from a carton. And I used salted butter as I couldn’t find the unsalted kind. I know, many of you find this hard to believe, but it’s true.
I don’t have a stand mixer, so my arms got a lot of exercise. Otherwise, I had no problems with the dough. The butter (beurrage) behaved well and didn’t leak. This could have been due to the lower temperatures here these days (the monsoons are finally here)
All ready for a sleepover in the fridge
I made a full recipe of the dough and froze it. Here is a good link that shows how to make Danish pastry dough and shape them.
The filling: We were required to make a braid with either the given apple filling recipe or a filling of our choice, provided we had made it. I made a half recipe of the apple filling for the braid as I love apple pie. I sprinkled some cashewnuts, sautéed in a little ghee, over the filling before braiding the dough.
I also used some other filling for the individual Danish pastries I made. Mango preserves I had made earlier.
Apricot and Almond Cashew filling
Apricot and Almond Cashew filling using left over almond-cashew meal from the Opera Cake. I followed Beatrice Ojakangas’ recipe.
Sweet moist coconut filling
Sweet moist coconut filling. This is a traditional south Indian sweet filling we use in many of our sweets. Take 1 cup of loosely packed, freshly scraped/ flaked coconut (dessicated or dried coconut won’t do) and 1/2 – 3/4 a cup of powdered jaggery (depending on sweetness of the jaggery). Put both in a pan with 2 tbsp of water and stir, on medium heat, till it comes together (about 3 – 5 minutes). If this is kept on the stove for longer, it will take on a toffee like texture which is not desirable. The filling should be moist but not wet. Add a tsp or so of ghee (clarified butter) and a tsp of cardamom powder and mix well. Take off heat, cool and use.
A savoury Indian style filling made of steamed cauliflower, potatoes and peas sautéed with turmeric, chilli, cumin, coriander, garam masala powders and salt. Actually I had this leftover from lunch, so I used it to make some turnovers.
Putting it all together: I made the braid as instructed but left out the egg wash. The braid still baked to a beautiful brown. I used a half recipe of the Danish pastry dough for the braid and used the remaining half to experiment with various fillings and shapes.
It is important to keep the strips long enough for braiding or else the braid will open up during baking. The thing would be to mark the dough rectangle into three equal parts, place the filling in the middle third and then cut the outer thirds of the rectangle into strips for braiding.
Apple filling and cashews
Almost ready for the oven
For individual Danish pastries I made a few each of the following –
Spandauer – pastry folded into envelopes with mango preserves. It’s a sort of packet, with coconut filling, where the four ends of a square of dough were brought together and twisted into a top knot.
Bears claws/ Cock’s combs/ Kammar filled with apricot filling. (I bet you never saw a bear with paws like these!)
Pinwheels with the coconut filling.
Open Danish Twists with the mango preserves/ grated bitter-sweet chocolate.
Snails with the apricot filling, and some Plain Croissants at my daughter’s express request.
This challenge worked well for me. No unfortunate experiences, for a change!
The dough
could be made and frozen, fillings made ahead and refrigerated (except the savoury kind), and then assembled conveniently.
And the smells that float throughout the house when these are baking is another experience. All the spices (cardamom is my absolute favourite) and fruit baking up in pastry full of butter makes for a wonderful fragrance.
I didn’t find the dough too sweet, probably because I used salted butter! So this dough made a good combination with savoury fillings as well.
Most Danish pastries, I understand, are either sprinkled with sugar before baking or drizzled with a sugar glaze afterwards. I chose not to do this as I didn’t want the pastries too sweet. I didn’t get the layered effect in my braid (though it was good) but got some layering in my individual ones. I did get lovely layers in my filling free croissants. These were the best.
I think I might just venture forth into the world of puff pastry in the future.
Thank you, Kelly and Ben, for demystifying (for me, at least) one more baking tradition. I say this every time, and I’m saying it again. Please do go across to my fellow DB blogs to be tempted by the sheer variety of Danish pastries baked up across the world.
I'm Aparna and My Diverse Kitchen is my ovo-lacto vegetarian food blog where you'll find recipes, food stories & photography. I've been blogging since 2007 and believe the kitchen, and the dining table (by extension) is really the heart of a home. 
Aparna, your braid and pastries look gorgeous, and those fillings (especially the apricot cashew) sound amazing!!!
Wow… you went a LOT of different directions with this month’s challenge. I’m especially intrigued by your savory stuffing. Talk about crossing cultures… great job!
Oh lord, your pastries are ADORABLE!! And that moist coconut filling looks to die for =D
Your pastries look terrific. I especially like the idea of the coconut filling, but I know little about working with a fresh coconut. Maybe someday I’ll try.
OOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUHHHHH, nice!
BEAUTIFUL job!! I love all the different little pastries…and I really love the photo of the open braid showing the filling as it was being assembled. Gorgeous!! 🙂
Lovely fillings and love the color.
Wow!!! Myriad danishes..Now that is what I call the spirit of the daring baker..good one Aparna..I posted mine too!!
This is my most favourite pastry – I don’t usually eat anything bread-y, but can’t help myself when I see these! Your shapes look nice, brought a smile to my face.
those small pastries look real cute….there are so many posts of danish pastries…..did u all have to post the same day
Your pastries look great and the flavor combos are intriguing – I’d want the coconut one for sure!!
What a beautiful bread, I also like the small pastries. Great job, well done!Ulrike from Küchenlatein
Well done. I would like to the taste with your homemade Mango preserves.
wow love the pics.. u r one very good baker!!!
It looks you had fun making all those pastries! Great job and really nice fillings!
Yours looks imply amazing! Thats some varity of fillings and shapes! girl! Apricot Cashew????????????? aaah! I am drooling ! I pretty much stuck to the apple filling! But I loved it – thi months has been one fun challenge
Aparna, what a great job you’ve done! Yo danish braid looks fantastic and you went so creative with the dough! Loved it!
I love all the diverse shapes and the coconut filling looks spectacular! I’m with you, sometimes you just don’t want too sweet a pastry.
Great job, Aparna. The braid and the pastries look great. I loved the twist of adding coconut filling to the pastries.
Aparna, your pastries look fantastic! And so many shape varieties! I love mango-filling idea.
Aparna your braid and ALL the pastries are fabulous! Really terrific fillings!
the pastries look too delicious and the braids look perfect..
Those braids look delicious, mango, coconut, hmmm that sounds heavenly GOOD! Great job in this challenge and thank you for baking with us 🙂
Great work Aparna…and yes, the croissants were the best 🙂
wow your pastries are so cute, and I love your filling choices, great job!
those mini pasties are darling. i love nut filling idea.
I seriously want to jump through the computer and eat your danish! LOL wonderful job!
this is so lovely! i am amazed at all the beautiful braids on the blogs. really really cool!
Aparna, gorgeous braid and pastries! I’ve planned to also make some different shapes but it just didn’t happen. I love the fillings, both of your savory and sweet fillings sound delicious. 🙂
Your fillings sound so delicious and the braid and pastries look beautiful! Thanks for stopping by!
what an amazing array of fillings! your coconut and mango ones are making me hungry!!! 😀
I love your fillings!!! And all the small pastries look great. Till I get yeast 100% under my control I am gonna stick to the braid but this certainly is a recipe to revisit.Very nice work!!
Your fillings sound amazing. I didn’t drizzle anything sweet on top of the pastry either because it would have been too sweet for me.
The coconut filling sounds wonderful. I will definitely try it in the future!
Very nice indeed Aparna…you’ve had fun here & what a great set of fillers! I love the different flavours coming outta your kitchen!! YUM!!
This looks great- I love the picutre of the dough about to be braided- very pretty!
Wow yours look fantastic!All the separate pastries look amazing!!
Great braid, lovely filling but I just love the little extras you made with the leftover dough.Great blog !!
Wow – what an amazing assortment of shapes and flavors! Fabulous job!
oh I love all the little shapes. Yum!
Wow, I can’t believe the variety of fillings you made. I can’t choose which one I like best — all look wonderful!
Hi Aparna, Its funny how we always tend to go towards mango :)) The braid came out very well. I should try the coconut filling of yours sometime.
Wow, your pastries are so excellent! Bravo to you!
wow, really diverse!
WOW I love all the other little shapes you did – all of those fillings sound so yummy too! How fun!
Thank you soo much for dropping by my blog I am always so glad to read your comments!Your braid looks amazing and your croissants are just PERFECT, I m glad your daughter requested them!Your other little creations also look beautiful and you had soo many fillings to choose from!! Congratulations you did an amazing job on this challenge!
Your braid looks great and I particularly love the individual pastries! The apricot filling sounds great.
Nice filling ideas! I love your experimentation with pastry shapes, too.
Your braid and smaller pastries look wonderful! All the different fillings sound delicious.
i use salted butter in all of my recipes too! i just cut back on any additional salt that is called for in the recipei love all your various shapes! wow! and the mango preserves sound delicious! great job!
OMG, that’s an awesome variety of danish pastries, fabulous!!! And the filling sounds heavenly..delish 🙂
Great looking braid and Danish Pastries! You did a great job here!cheers,Rosa
Beautiful! I am a big fan of fruit danish, and love so many shapes you came up with.
There is something Waiting for u at my blog :))The small pastries look sooooo cute. Love the filling.
Aparna,How did you know that cashews are my favourite … and apricots! Love your filling!
Gorgeous pastries! I love the coconut filling idea. You really got a lot of fun pastries out of this challenge!
Oh, you made so many kinds of danishes! They are adorable! Great job you did!
Ilove your individual pastries! Too cute!
They all look sensational. Especially ythat aweet moist coconut one.I love my modern appliances but its good to know it can be done , as it has been done the old fashioned way. And get an upper body workoutat the same time!
Nice looking braid and pastries! I really like the sound of the mango and coconut filling.
Your braids look beautiful – and the coconut filling sounds yummy! 🙂
Beautiful pastries and awesome fillings. Great job!
All those fillings!! Excellent job on the challenge!
Oh yum! Your filling sounds devine!
aparna…this is fabulous stuff!! and i love the coconut filling!! wow!!
Those fillings look so yummy that I probably would have just eaten them as they were before being able to use them in the final product. Great choices!Alexandra
Fabulous! So many beautiful fillings and shapes. Great job!Natalie @ Gluten A Go Go
Wow! Everything you made is so pretty & perfect!!! I love the flavors you used for the filling. Great job!xoxox Amy
Everything looks fabulous! The extras you did look just wonderful!
Your braids and pastries look wonderful!
Very nice! I did mango, too, or tried to until one of mine disappeared! Libby
Looks fantastic! Wonderful job.