Danish Puff Pastry Recipe (2024)

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This delicious Danish Puff Pastry Recipe is quite old; my Grandmother made it for as long as I can remember, and I have been making this Danish puff recipe for over 40 years. This simple-to-make puff pastry recipe is a fantastic coffee Danish to serve friends and family for dinner, breakfast, or get-togethers.

I thought you might be interested in what my recipe card for this Danish puff pastry looks like!

Danish Puff Recipe

I’ve made this a lot over the last 35 years. I think it may be time for me to rewrite that recipe card!

Like I said, a family favorite!!

Tips and variations for making this Danish puff pastry:

● Toppings: either leave the Danish Puff Pastry with just the frosting, or use chopped or sliced almonds, chopped walnuts, or drain a few maraschino cherries, and dice them up fine. You can also mix and match the toppings (nuts + maraschino cherries works very well!)

How to make vanilla extract

● This does not keep well. At all. It is best fresh to the next day (cover well if storing overnight). My best advice? Once cut, be prepared to eat the Danish Puff Pastry. And no, I have never made a half-recipe and neither has anyone else in my family – and believe me, this is a family favorite.

Danish Puff Ingredients for Crust:

● 1 cup Flour, sifted
● ½ cup Butter
● 2 TBSP Water

Danish Puff Pastry Ingredients for Dough:

● ½ cup Butter
● 1 cup Flour, sifted
● 1 cup Water
● 1 tsp Almond Extract
● 3 Eggs

Danish Puff Mise en Place:

Measuring Cup
Sifter
Measuring Spoons
Rubber Spatula
3 quart Pot
● Wooden Mixing Spoon or Whisk
Baking Sheet
● Electric Mixer: Stand Mixer (paddle attachment, whisk, bowls, etc.) or Hand Mixer

Danish Puff Ingredients for Frosting:

● ¼ cup Butter
● 1 lb Confectionery Sugar
● ¼ – ½ cup Half and Half or Light Cream
● 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
● Nuts or maraschino cherries for garnish

Danish Puff Directions Crust:

● Preheat oven to 350°F.
● Cut Flour into Butter.
● Add water until well blended.
● Note: if you melt the butter in the microwave first, you can eliminate the water. Just mix the butter and flour together to form the crust dough.

● Separate into two balls.

● Pat each ball into long 12″ x 3″ strips 3″ apart on an ungreased baking sheet.

Danish Puff Directions Dough:

● In a 3 quart pot mix butter and water together.
● Bring to a rolling boil.

● Remove from heat, add almond extract.

● Add flour and stir until smooth.

● Add 1 egg at a time, beating until smooth. (Do not over beat, your dough will be tough if you do)

● Divide dough in halfand , spread half onto each crust.

● Bake at 350°F for 55-60 minutes.
● Allow pastry to cool.

Danish Puff Directions Frosting:

● In a mixing bowl using a stand mixer combine butter and confectionery sugar, beat well.
● Add vanilla extract.
● Add between ¼ – ½ cup of Half and Half or Light Cream a little at a time. Check consistency. Of you want the frosting thicker, use less cream, if you want it thinner, add more cream. Beat until fluffy.

● Spread evenly over cooled pastry.

● Top with nuts or drained and cut maraschino cherries.

● Slice into strips and serve.

Yield: 1

Danish Puff Pastry Recipe

Danish Puff Pastry Recipe (21)

This delicious Danish Puff Pastry Recipe is quite old; my Grandmother made it for as long as I can remember, and I have been making it for over 40 years. This simple-to-make puff pastry recipe is a fantastic coffee Danish to serve friends and family for dinner, breakfast, or get-togethers.

Prep Time30 minutes

Cook Time1 hour

Additional Time30 minutes

Total Time2 hours

Ingredients

Ingredients for Crust:

  • 1 cup Flour, sifted
  • ½ cup Butter
  • 2 TBSP Water

Ingredients for Dough:

  • ½ cup Butter
  • 1 cup Flour, sifted
  • 1 cup Water
  • 1 tsp Almond Extract
  • 3 Eggs

Ingredients For Frosting:

  • ¼ cup Butter
  • 1 lb Confectionery Sugar
  • ¼ – ½ cup Half and Half or Light Cream
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • Nuts or Maraschino Cherries for garnish

Instructions

  1. Directions Crust:
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  3. Cut Flour into Butter.
  4. Add water until well blended.
  5. Note: if you melt the butter in the microwave first, you can eliminate the water. Just mix the butter and flour together to form the crust dough.
  6. Separate into two balls.
  7. Pat each ball into long 12″ x 3″ strips 3″ apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
  8. Directions Dough:
  9. In a 3 quart pot mix butter and water together.
  10. Bring to a rolling boil.
  11. Remove from heat, add almond extract.
  12. Add flour and stir until smooth.
  13. Add 1 egg at a time, beating until smooth. (Do not over beat, your dough will be tough if you do).
  14. Divide dough in half, spread half onto each crust.
  15. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 55-60 minutes.
  16. Directions Frosting:
  17. Allow pastry to cool.
  18. In a mixing bowl combine butter and confectionery sugar, beat well.
  19. Add vanilla extract.
  20. Add between ¼ – ½ cup of the half and half or light cream a little at a time. Check consistency. Of you want the frosting thicker, use less cream, if you want it thinner, add more cream. Beat until fluffy.
  21. Spread evenly over cooled pastry.
  22. Top with nuts or drained and cut maraschino cherries.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

32

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 163Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 68mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 0gSugar: 14gProtein: 2g

Note: for exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information provided is simply a guideline.

First Published: September 13, 2013

Last Updated: April 24, 2023

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Danish Puff Pastry Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between puff pastry and Danish pastry? ›

DIFFERENCE PUFF PASTRY

First of all Danish pastries contain a high level of fat: 40%. The second difference is that Danish dough contains yeast and that isn't the case for puff pastry. This is the reason that after baking, puff pastries contain a more airy structure and a more crispy bite.

What is the secret to puff pastry? ›

Always preheat your oven for a minimum of 15-20 minutes before baking, because Puff Pastry depends on even heat to rise and puff. Place pastries 1 inch apart. If you want a flaky thin and crispy pastry that's not very puffy, prick the unbaked Puff Pastry all over with a fork, which lets steam escape while baking.

What is the formula for puff pastry? ›

A typical puff pastry formula:4,5
IngredientBaker's %
Dough
Butter30.0–35.0
Water45.0–50.0
Salt2.0–2.5
4 more rows

What is the real name for Danish pastry? ›

In Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish, the term for Danish pastry is wienerbrød (or wienerbröd), meaning "Viennese bread".

What is the best type of puff pastry? ›

If a puff pastry brand is called for specifically in a recipe, it's likely Dufour. This is because the brand uses simple ingredients (butter, flour, salt, lemon juice, and water) and is totally painless to work with.

Is egg or milk better for puff pastry? ›

Milk is too runny and will burn but you can add a little to your egg wash to make it a little thinner for coating. Melted butter also burns quite quickly. Egg wash is the most reliable because it coats the pastry evenly and doesn't run off.

Why do you put vinegar in puff pastry? ›

Adding vinegar tenderizes the pastry. It inhibits gluten from forming there by making the pastry tender and flaky.

Is butter or egg better on puff pastry? ›

Egg wash is often used to make toppings on pastries stick. It's also used as a glaze to help the pastry achieve the perfect golden brown color and shine. Butter will not help toppings stick to pastry since it isn't a binder like an egg is, but butter can work in place of an egg wash for some foods.

What ingredient makes puff pastry rise? ›

While you set your dough in the oven, the water in the dough forms steam which causes the puff pastry to rise. While the water evaporates the pastry is set in place due to the heat in the oven. Verdict : You need not add yeast, baking powder or baking soda.

Can I use oil instead of butter in puff pastry? ›

Puff pastry is mainly made by 3 important ingredients, flour, water, and fat (butter or oil). Unfortunately, I learned that butter and oil, consist of 100% fat. I've successfully created puff pastry using oil in a pan before. It works!

Why are Danish pastries so good? ›

The Danish baking technique involves rolling out the yeast dough thinly, layering it with thin slices of butter, and folding and rolling several times to create many layers. This process allows the dough to become rich, buttery, airy, and tender when baked.

What country is famous for Danish pastry? ›

Traditional Danish pastries

In Denmark, these world-famous sticky delights are called Vienna Bread (wienerbrød), as they were first made in Denmark in the 1840s by Austrian bakers. Still, Danish pastries rose in popularity over the centuries and are now a firm favourite of ordinary Danes.

What ethnicity is Danish pastry? ›

From Italy, the recipe spread to the Austrians, who introduced it to Denmark during a strike by Danish bakers. It was imported as 'Viennese bread', and eventually Danish bakers who emigrated all around the world brought with them this recipe and today we know this delicious thing as Danish Pastry.

What is the closest thing to puff pastry? ›

Shortcrust pastry: This is a type of pastry made from flour, butter, and water that is usually used for sweet desserts but can also be used as a substitute for puff pastry in savory dishes like pot pies.

What is the major difference between puff pastry and croissant and Danish dough? ›

The base dough, known as the detrempe, varies depending on the type of pastry. For example, puff pastry dough is made up of flour, water, and salt; croissant dough is prepared with flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and milk; while Danish dough includes the same ingredients as a croissant dough but adds eggs to the mix.

What makes a pastry a Danish? ›

What Is a Danish Pastry? A Danish pastry, often known as simply “a Danish”, is a layered, sweet pastry baked with Danish pastry traditions. This type of baking involves using yeast-leavened dough or puff pastry with added ingredients such as butter, eggs, milk, cream, and sugar to make the pastries richer and sweeter.

Is Danish made from puff pastry? ›

frozen puff pastry makes homemade Danish so much more do-able! Danish pastry is made with a yeasted, multi-layered laminated dough that takes a lot of time and skill to make. And when you find them commercially they're almost always too sweet, and there's never enough filling for my taste.

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