Processor Danish Pastry
from Nigella Lawson, How to be a Domestic Goddess (source, http://www.superyachtcuisine.com/)

These Danish are just fabulous, a little time is needed to create these buttery Danish delights but well worth the time and little effort. I have acquired this wonderful recipe from the cooking goddess Nigella Lawson, who's book 'How to be a domestic goddess' is well worth buying. Note this recipe needs to be started the night before the day of use. Guests are always wowed when the Danishes are home-made. Make several batches at a time and freeze in squares or freeze as uncooked complete Danishes, remove from freezer, proof over night in fridge or kitchen depending on temperature and bake in the morning, perfect! on board bakery.

Nigella describes the practice of making this sort of pastry dough in the food processor as revolutionary not only because the dough comes together in seconds but also because it produces an authentic Danish pastry. She even includes a word of encouragement from Beatrice Ojakangas, the Scandinavian chef who taught her the method via Dorie Greenspan: “Don’t think you’re cheating by taking the fast track — this is how it’s done these days all over Denmark.”

Nigella also gave recipes for a Cheese filling and an Almond filling (see below).

Danish:
60ml warm water [1/4 cup]
125ml milk, at room temperature [1/2 cup]
1 large egg, at room temperature
350g white bread flour [2 1/4 cups]
7g (1 sachet) easy-blend yeast or 15g fresh yeast
1 teaspoon salt
25g caster sugar [1 tablespoon]
250g unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2 cm slices [1 cup]

Egg Wash:
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of milk

Clear Glaze:
1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup water

Sugar Glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons warm water

Pour water, milk and egg into a measuring jug, whisk with a fork to combine and place to one side.

Place the flour, yeast, salt and sugar into a food processor and give it a quick pulse to mix. Add the cold slices of butter and process briefly to cut the butter into the dry mixture, it will still be lumpy with 1cm lumps through the dry mix.

Empty the dry butter mix from the food processor into a large bowl, straight away add the wet mixture of water, milk and egg. Using hands or a rubber spatula fold the wet mix into the dry mixture, do not over mix, a gooey mess with butter lumps is what you are needing to achieve.

Cover the bowl with cling film, place in fridge overnight or this can be left for four day in the fridge before continuing on.

Remove the bowl from the fridge and form a pastry by placing onto a floured work surface and add more flour if required and mould into a pastry dough. Trying not to over handle.

Roll it out to a 50 x 50cm square [20 x 20 inch square]. Fold the dough square into thirds, like a business letter then turn it afterwards so that the closed fold is on your left, like a spine of a book.

Roll out again to a 50cm square [20 inches], and repeat steps above 3 times.

Cut the pastry in half and wrap both portions in plastic wrap, place into the fridge for 30 minutes to rest or can keep up to 4 days in fridge (if you have NOT already done so) or can freeze half the pastry and use half the pastry.

Roll out one of the pastry portions into a big square and cut into thirds horizontally. Then cut in half down the middle, giving 6 squares. Take each square and put a tablespoon of mixture such as custard and an apricot half, stewing apple, almond filling, lemon curd, cheese mixture or simply plum jam.

See Nigella's Cheese Danish Filling below
See Nigella's Almond Danish Filling below

Place the mixture on a diagonal then bring up the opposite corners and pinch together, then flatten the pastry slightly to give a cigar shape OR place the mixture in the middle of each square and fold the corners up together and pinch them.

Place the desired shaped Danish onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and brush with egg glaze. Leave to rise until the Danishes double in size. Around 1 1/2 hours. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius [350 degrees F.], gas mark 4.

Bake for 15 minutes or until puffy and golden.

Transfer to wire rack and cool slightly then brush with clear glaze then drizzle with sugar glaze once cool.

Makes 12 Danish

Cheese Danish: Nigella Lawson - How To Be A Domestic Goddess

1/2 quantity of the processor danish pastry
1 cup ricotta cheese (homemade)
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon lemon zest
6 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg, beaten
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Combine the cheese, sugar, salt, lemon zest, egg (if using), and butter (if using) to make the filling. Continue with the recipe above.

Almond Danish: Nigella Lawson - How To Be A Domestic Goddess

1/2 quantity of Danish Pastry
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) blanched almonds, toasted
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
2 tabelspoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 large egg white, beaten lightly

To make the almond filling, process the almonds and confectioners' sugar together until finely ground. Add the butter, pulse again, then the almond extract and 2 tablespoons of egg white. Continue with the recipe above.