Danish Pastries with Ricotta Cheese

These have to have a texture like danish pastries you buy in the stores. The rolling/chilling with the layer of fat (ie butter) are consistent with things like puff pastry and ladylocks, but with a yeast dough, it will be chewier. But the fat layer will make it very flaky. I am putting these on my Easter breakfast menu. You could probably substitute cream cheese or dry curd cottage cheese (not large curd-dry curd) for the ricotta if you dont like ricotta. I may actually attempt a yeast pastry without the bread machine lol! No way would this work in the bread machine other than to mix the dough up since there is no "first rise", it is a cold rise in the refrigerator with the fat.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Danish Pastries with Ricotta Cheese

Recipe By :International Masters Publishers, Inc.
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Pastries

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Pastry:
1 1/2 cups butter -- softened
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups warm milk -- (105'-115')
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
Filling:
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
Glaze:
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

To prepare pastry, in a large bowl, beat butter at medium speed until very soft, 1 minute. Beat in 1/2 cup of flour. Place butter mixture between 2 sheets of waxed paper. Using a floured rolling pin, roll mixture into a 12-in. x 6-in. rectangle. Chill 1 hour. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir sugar, salt, and egg into yeast mixture. At low speed, beat in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. On a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 16-in. square.

Continued...

Remove top waxed paper sheet from butter mixture; invert onto half of dough. Remove remaining paper. Fold other dough half over butter; press edges to seal. Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 21-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Fold lengthwise in thirds into a 12-in. x 7-in. rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap; chill for 1 hour. Repeat rolling, folding, and chilling dough 3 times. To prepare filling, mix together all ingredients. On a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 20-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Cut into twenty 12-in. x 1-in. strips. Lightly roll each strip into a rope. Place ropes in a wide U shape, 4 inches apart, on two baking sheets. Coil 1 end of each rope toward center to form a spiral shape. Tuck end under. Coil other end of rope on top of spiral to form a 4-in. diameter circle. Tuck end under; press to seal. Spoon 1 tablespoon of filling into each pastry center. Cover with a damp cloth; let rise in a warm place until doubled, 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350'. To prepare glaze, mix together egg and water. Brush pastries with glaze. Bake pastries until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.

Description: "These incredibly rich, cheese-filled pastries are a favorite on the menus of New York coffee shops."
Source: "Great American Home Baking"
Copyright: "2004 International Masters Publishers AB."
Yield: "20 pastries"

These sound wonderful......My problem is deciding whether to invite 10 friends over to share them....or to hide until I've eaten all 20 of them....and then not eat for a week!!! LOL
Linda

I bet these are so good! Thanks.

bump for kimsonmerk

Bumping up for the miniature Danish Pastry searcher.