Danish dilemma
I'm happy with my dough, the problem is the shape. We like lots of filling. If I shape the Danish as a pocket and be sure that the filling goes all the way into the back of the pocket and out onto the front, then when it bakes the pastry under the filling doesn't rise nearly as much as the rest of the pastry. We prefer the taste and texture of the pastry when it has fully risen. Lately I've tried making a roll and slicing it and baking the spirals. That works well in that there is no filling pressing down on the pastry as it bakes, and there is plenty of filling spiralling around inside the pastry. The problem is that the jarred lemon filling that I use heats to boiling and pushes the spirals apart. They look GREAT the moment that they come out of the oven, but after 1 or 2 minutes the filling cools down and shrinks a lot and thre are big holes between the pastry spiraling. I've tried filling those holes with filling after the pastries have baked, but that feels like cheating. Any thoughts? :-Paul
Here are some photos to demonstrate what I mean:
When I bake them they look great at first (on the left), then the filling shrinks and large holes and crevices become apparent. I think that it shows up particularly well on the pastry in the lower right - both the center and the spiral have obviously lost their filling. The problem is much more noticeable than in the photograph.
What I end up doing is filling the voids by hand and then frosting them. They're quite delicious, but I'd like to find a way to get lots of filling AND lots of pastry puffing without having to resort to refilling them after the bake. Any suggestions are welcome.
The same thing will happen with cheese and not only to Danish, if you make bread/sweet bun /etc dough as a roll up you will find after it is baked it will seperate.
Make your Danish into another shape so the filling stays on it.......;-))))
My German friend makes Biglee (sp) a dough roll up with ground walnuts, and she prick the devil out of it so it will not separate but it still does, doesn't effect the taste though. ;-) qahtan
Kolaches are made with a different type of dough, but the shaping process could be applied to danish, too. Shape into a ball, flatten the ball to a disc, make a shallow depression in the center of the disc, drop a spoonful or two of filling into the depression, then bake.
Much less muss, fuss and cuss. Worth a try, I'd think.
Paul
Hi, Pablo.
Looks like you used a Lemon Curd for your danish. I have a delicious all fresh ingredients, microwave lemon curd recipe that only takes a few minutes to make and keeps for 3 weeks in the frig if you would like for me to message it to you. You could put it right on top of one of those nice shapes that the dghdctr recommends before or after baking.
Sylvia
HI Sylvia,
I must have this recipe!
:-Paul
This has a wonderful flavor. Easy tested no fail recipe. I have a lemon tree and make it all the time.
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 cup fresh lemon juice or you can make Lime curd..just use lime juice
3 Lemons, zested
1/2 cup butter
In a microwave bowl, whisk together sugar and eggas until smooth.
Stir in lemon juice, zest and butter "I sometimes leave out the zest" for a smoother curd.
Microwave at 1 minute intervals, stirring after each minute until mixture is thick
enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Remove and store in sterile small jar's.
Keeps for 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Hints: Takes about 5 1/2 minutes in microwave. It will thicken as it cools.
Makes about 3 half pint jars
Use a fine mess seive to remove any egg white bits and you get a very nice smooth curd.
My lemons are very tangy so I use less and sweeten a little more.
hints- You can add 2 extra yolks and increase sugar to 1 1/4 cups.
Sylvia
The flavour is fantastic! It firmed up on the bowl and utensils waiting to be cleaned, so I'm optimistic that it will thicken in the jars as it cools.
One thing that I noticed: I had it in a fairly small bowl so it just fit and toward the end of cooking it started rising over the edge of the bowl. I did several 20 second bursts and then stir it down and do another 20 seconds. I'll use a larger container next time.
Thanks Sylvia!
:-Paul
the recipe..and your very welcome. If you watch Vincent T. video he just blogged you can see he does a nice shape with 'it looks like lemon curd' in the center of it.
Sylvia
pastry cream, but you could use the lemon curd without the jam topping.
http://joepastry.site.aplus.net/index.php?cat=89
Take a look and see if any alternate shaping shown here may be helpful.
I know we have some retired bakers that may be able to jump in-Norm?
Thanks! That looks like some fun stuff to play with. One day I will seek a bear claw recipe. Ain't bakin' swell!?!
:-Paul
Thanks for the input. I have to say that the results were spectacularly tasty, although not beautiful. Sylvia, wow! The lemon rocks! Now i'm hot to make a lemon meringue pie. I haven't had one for the longest time, but that lemon is inspiring!
Dan, I tried proofing first before filling and that worked better. Thanks! I rolled out my dough in the wrong shape for the 8 large squares that I wanted, I got 8 rectangles instead, so I made 16 smaller squares. I carefully sealed the wings and after proofing slid a straw under the arch and raised it up to spoon in some of the lemon filling. Again, they're really tasty, but not something you'd show at a bakery.
Here're some photos. I wanted to respond to both your very helpful comments and let you know that I took them to heart. There are three more packs of dough frozen so I'll keep trying things. I'll have to make some more of that lemon curd.
:-Paul
Proofed tray
Single proofed and filled pastry
Baked tray of pastries
Close up of a couple of pastries before frosting
I like to frost them... just lemon juice and powdered sugar with a little cornstarch
I admire your courage to try something like this. It looks pretty good form here.
Eric
I'm just having my morning tea and Oh My, would several of these hit the spot! Your photos are making me drool. I have a terrible weakness for Danish! I love the sugar fondant/glaze drizzle. I'm very happy you love the curd as much as I do. It changed it appearance and texture when baked and looks nice and shiny. I use it pretty regular on scones and toast. I'm not sure how it would bake up in a lemon meringue pie. I do have a wonderful recipe I use for LM pie.
Sylvia
>I'm not sure how it would bake up in a lemon meringue pie. I do have a wonderful recipe I use for LM pie.<
I'd love to see it!!!
:-Paul
the recipe to you! : )