Yuletide Danish Pastry

Total Time: 4 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• 1 cup softened butter
• 2 cups lukewarm milk
• 2 tablespoons yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 8 cups flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup oats
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 -3 tablespoons milk or 2 -3 tablespoons cream
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4-1/2 cup slivered almonds or 1/4-1/2 cup sliced almonds

Recipe

• 1 to make pastry:.
• 2 mix all pastry ingredients in a large mixing bowl only until will blended.
• 3 cover and let rise till doubled.
• 4 meanwhile, make fillings and toppings.
• 5 for cream filling:.
• 6 heat milk in saucepan.
• 7 mix egg yolk into dry ingredients.
• 8 add a little warm milk to temper, then mix with heated milk.
• 9 stir and cook till thick.
• 10 remove from heat and cover with plastic wrap.
• 11 cool.
• 12 for almond filling:.
• 13 mix all ingredients with until well blended.
• 14 for streusel topping:.
• 15 mix all ingredients with fingers or pastry blender until mixture resembles course crumbs.
• 16 for almond icing:.
• 17 combine powdered sugar with enought milk or cream to make a slightly runny icing.
• 18 add almond extract.
• 19 punch down dough.
• 20 divide dough into 4 equal parts.
• 21 using one portion of the dough, roll out into a rectangle on a lightly floured board.
• 22 spread 1/4 cream filling on each; then 1/4 almond filling.
• 23 roll up jelly-roll fashion.
• 24 cut about 10 slashes through top with a sharp knife.
• 25 repeat with remaining 3 portions of dough.
• 26 place each roll on greased cookie sheet.
• 27 shape into wreath or candy cane shape.
• 28 sprinkle with streusel topping.
• 29 let rise in a warm place till double in bulk.
• 30 bake at 375* for 20 minute.
• 31 drizzle with almond icing and sprinkle with almonds.