Danish pastries

Method

• Sift flour and salt together. Rub in 50 g of butter with fingertips until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add sugar and yeast. Mix in beaten eggs and enough lukewarm milk to form a soft pastry.
• Turn out pastry onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 - 10 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in a lightly oiled, large bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes, or until doubled in size.
• Knock down pastry on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll out pastry into a rectangular shape of about 20 x 35 cm. Cover two-thirds of pastry with half the remaining grated butter. Then fold remaining pastry with butter over that, creating three layers of pastry with butter between each layer. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 - 15 minutes.
• Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface and place remaining grated butter on two-thirds of pastry, then fold and turn. Repeat rolling and folding once more. Cover and refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
• Divide pastry into four equal portions. Roll out each portion on a lightly floured surface to a 20 cm square. Cut each square into quarters. Place about 5 ml almond paste in the middle of each square. Dampen two opposite corners with a little water and then fold into middle and press to seal. Top centre of each pastry with an apricot half cut-side down. Place onto greased baking trays. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 15 minutes, or until doubled in size.
• Brush with beaten egg and milk. Bake in a preheated oven at 220 °C for 10 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Turn onto a wire rack to cool slightly.
• Brush with warm jam and drizzle with glace icing.