Apple Walnut Danish Food

EASY APPLE DANISH

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest; cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in the yeast mixture, milk and eggs until blended. , Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead about 20 times (dough will be slightly sticky). Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. , For filling, combine the apples, walnuts, sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each portion into an 18x15-in. rectangle; brush with butter. Sprinkle filling to within 1/2 in. of edges. , Starting with a short side, fold a third of the dough over filling; repeat with other side, making a 15x6-in. rectangle. Pinch seams to seal. Cut each into 15 slices. Twist each slice a few times; pinch ends together, forming a small circle. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. , Bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm rolls.

APPLE WALNUT DANISH

Steps:

• In a liquid measuring cup, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Cut the butter into the flour mixture. My favorite method is by using a box grater (just like in scones or biscuits) . Then incorporate the butter into the flour with your fingers until coarse crumbles form. Stir in the yeast/water mixture, the warmed milk, and the eggs.
• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead for about 2 minutes. I had to flour my hands as well. The dough will be tacky. Place it in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 and butter a baking sheet, or line with parchment paper.
• Make your filling by stirring together the chopped apples, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter.
• Punch down the dough and divide it in half. Cover the half you aren't working with. On a floured surface, stretch the dough into an 18 X 15 rectangle. You could roll it out, but I just press with my hands. Cover the dough with the filling spread to within about 1/2" of the edges.
• To fold the dough, start with a short side. Fold it towards the middle. Then fold the other short side over it (see photos). Repeat this process with the dough you set aside, and then cut each into 15 slices. (If you folded it as shown in the photos you'll cut horizontally)
• Twist each slice a few times and then pinch the ends together to make a circle. This is what gives your danish a braided appearance. Place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Mix together the egg + 1 tablespoon water and brush the top of each danish with it.
• Bake for 12 - 15 minutes. The tops will be a pretty golden brown.
• Mix together the confectioner's sugar, milk, and vanilla extract to make the glaze. Drizzle it over the top of each danish.
• Store in an airtight container for 4-6 days

DANISH KRINGLE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cut 1 cup butter into flour until crumbly, leaving pea-sized chunks. Stir in sour cream, and mix well; dough will be very sticky. Form dough into a ball. Cover tightly, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet. Prepare the filling by combining 1 cup butter, brown sugar, and 1 cup chopped walnuts.
• Divide dough into three equal parts; return two parts to the refrigerator to keep cold. Quickly form 1/3 of the dough into a rectangle, and flour lightly. On a heavily floured surface, roll out to approximately 12x17 inches. Position lengthwise on the work surface. Along the long edges of the dough rectangle, use a sharp knife to cut 4 inch long angled lines about 1/2 inch apart. Spoon 1/3 of the filling along the length of the rectangle's uncut center. Alternating from one side of the dough to the other, fold each 1/2 inch wide strip towards the center, crisscrossing the filling in a braid-like fashion. Lightly press together the ends of the strips to seal. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the remaining walnuts. Repeat with remaining ingredients to form 3 braided danishes. Arrange danishes on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Cool for approximately 30 minutes. While the danishes are cooling, prepare the icing: mix confectioners sugar and water until smooth. Drizzle in fine streams over warm danishes.

APPLE WALNUT BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon; gradually add to the creamed mixture, just until combined. Stir in apple and walnuts., Pour into a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

APPLE DANISH

Steps:

• Combine 1 cup flour, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and instant yeast in a mixing bowl. Add the water and room temperature butter and beat for 1 minute. Stir in the remaining cup of flour and mix well. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to an oiled bowl, turning to coat the surface of the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Place the chopped apples and 3 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan. Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well; add the mixture to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the apples are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the filling to cool.
• Transfer the Danish dough to a floured surface and punch the dough down. Let the dough rest, covered, for 15 minutes. Roll the dough out into a 13 x 8-inch rectangle. Place the dough on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Turn the baking sheet so that you face the short side of the dough. Spread the apple filling down the center third of the dough. With a sharp paring knife, make cuts in the dough along the right side, starting each cut about 1/4 inch from the apple filling. Cut to the edge of the dough strip, with each cut angled to about 4 o'clock. Each strip of dough should be about 1-inch thick. Repeat on the left side of the dough, angling the cuts to 8 o'clock.
• Starting at the top, fold the dough strips across the apple filling, alternating left and right. The pastry will look like a long braid. Pinch the top and bottom ends of the braid to seal in the filling. Cover the pastry and let it rise at room temperature until the dough is puffy, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake the braid for 20 minutes, covering it with aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning. Remove the pastry from the oven and allow it to cool.
• To make the glaze, heat the 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally and cook until the milk solids turn brown and give off a nutty fragrance, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool slightly. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Mix in the milk a teaspoon at a time until the glaze is thin enough to drizzle. Decorate the Danish braid with the glaze.

WALNUT APPLE DESSERT

Steps:

• Place apples in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup brown sugar and cinnamon. In a bowl, cream butter and remaining brown sugar. Beat in eggs. Stir in flour and 1/2 cup walnuts. Spread over apples. Sprinkle with remaining walnuts., Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or until the apples are tender. Serve warm, with ice cream if desired.