Strawberry Danish Braid (cream cheese filling)
Amazing homemade Strawberry Danish pastry! The dough is a gem of a recipe, made in the food processor. It's the best way of making and eating a flaky, creamy breakfast pastry with minimal fuss.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
For the danish dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour or up to 2 ½ cups
- large pinch salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter cold and cut into medium pieces
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- ¼ cup water tepid or barely warm, not hot
- ¼ cup heavy cream tepid or barely warm, not hot
- pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
For the filling:
- 1 ½ cups fresh strawberries, sliced
- ⅓ cup cream cheese
- ⅔ cups almond paste recipe below
- ½ teaspoon lime zest lemon zest also works
For the almond cream:
- ½ cup almond flour or ground almonds
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice or lemon juice
- 1 cup fresh strawberries hulled and sliced, to serve
Instructions
For the quick danish dough:
- Put 2 cups all-purpose flour and large pinch salt in the work bowl of a food processor, fitted with the steel blade.
- Add ¾ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into chunks, and process until the butter is the size of kidney beans. Don't let it get too small. Medium sized butter pieces is the key to this dough.
- In a bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon active dry yeast in ¼ cup water . Let stand 5 minutes until foamy, and then stir in ¼ cup heavy cream, pinch ground nutmeg, 1 egg and 2 tablespoons white sugar. Mix very lightly with a fork.
- Transfer the flour and butter mixture to a large bowl; add the yeast mixture and mix lightly with a fork or spatula just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Don't overdo it. Similar to scone mixing.
- Shape into a square, it will be very irregular, transfer to a piece of plastic wrap, cover it completely and refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 4 days.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; dust with a little flour. Flatten with a rolling pin to make a 16 to 20-inch (40x51cm) square. Lightly flour the surface as needed so you can work with the dough, but don't go overboard; add flour only as needed.
- Fold into thirds, top ⅓ down and remaining ⅓ up, making 3 layers. Turn the dough a quarter to your right, as if it were a book, so that the large open part is on your right, and roll again.
- Repeat the three folds two more times for a total of three times. Like puff pastry. This should result in a sort-of square. Wrap and chill the dough 30 minutes or as long as overnight.
- When ready to bake, take the dough out of the refrigerator and transfer to a floured surface.
- Roll into a 12x6-inch (30x15cm) rectangle. Place on a baking sheet that has been covered with lightly buttered and floured parchment paper or Silpat.
- Spread the almond cream cheese filling, down the length of the center of the strip. Top with 1 ½ cups fresh strawberries, sliced.
- Cut slanted or straight strips along both sides towards the center using a dough scraper or a pastry wheel. Be very careful and gentle when doing this; I slashed one of my beloved Silpats. Fold strips over the filling in a crisscross pattern.
- Let rise 1 hour (more or less depending on the temperature), just until the pastry appears puffy. It will not double. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
- Turn on the oven to 375ºF (180ºC) about 20 minutes before baking.
- Bake about 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and puffed. Make sure the dough is fully baked. The filling will bubble and might spill in parts.
- Let it cool on a wire rack until it's room temperature.
- Drizzle the lime glaze and top with 1 cup fresh strawberries, cut into small chunks.
Almond cream or frangipane:
- Combine ½ cup almond flour and ⅓ cup powdered sugar.
- Add ¼ cup unsalted butter, 1 egg white and whisk energetically until it's well integrated and creamy.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, ⅛ teaspoon almond extract and ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract, and mix just until combined well.
For the strawberry cream cheese mixture:
- Mix room temperature ⅓ cup cream cheese with ⅔ cups almond paste until smooth.
- Add ½ teaspoon lime zest and mix well.
For the lime glaze:
- Mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon lime juice in a bowl until completely smooth.
- If you want it thicker or thinner add more or less juice.
Notes
Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use an oven thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend tracking how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Pastry dough: make sure you process the butter until it's the size of kidney beans, not smaller. That makes a difference.
Resting: It's important not to skip this step as the dough needs it to puff as it should during baking.
Glaze: you can use lemon or another citrus or even liquor. But lime is a great partner to the other flavors.
Fillings: you can use a good berry jam or preserves, or another berry instead of strawberries.
Storing: this braid is at its best the day it's baked. If you have leftovers, warm them slightly before eating so the dough regains some of its flakiness.
Halve or double the recipe: you can easily double or make just half a recipe. These braids freeze perfectly after being baked, wrapped first in film and then foil. Warm them up before eating.
