Prince William's Chocolate Biscuit Cake

I went for a stroll downtown with the kids a couple of days ago when we came up with the idea to make Prince William's groom's cake which he has requested be served at the wedding reception.  Apparently, this easy no-bake refrigerator cake is a childhood indulgence of his and a particular favorite of the entire royal family. With this idea in mind, we dropped into Fat Nanny's grocery store on Duckworth Street, where I procured the necessary Lyle's golden syrup and a large sleeve of McVities original digestive biscuits. Both Lyle's and McVities are venerable brands in the UK, which adds a little extra authenticity to the recipe on this occasion.

Golden syrup is a little difficult to come by in these parts, so I would use dark corn syrup as a substitute and of course, any brand of digestive biscuits will do. Dark chocolate is the way to go with this recipe but you can mix semisweet and dark chocolate if you like the chocolate flavor to be a little lighter. I've also read numerous versions of this recipe online that include such ingredients as dried cherries, roasted nuts and one ingredient I might just try the next time I make this...broken Crunchie bars! There's lots of room for experimentation with this recipe, so go discover your own favorite version.

2 pounds dark chocolate, roughly chopped (about 50% cocoa)
1 pound unsalted butter
pinch salt
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup golden syrup
1 pound digestive biscuits, broken by hand into postage stamp sized pieces

Melt the butter over medium low heat. Add the chocolate and salt and continue over medium low heat until the chocolate is fully melted. Remove from heat and stir in the whipping cream and golden syrup until smooth. Fold in the broken biscuits and pour into a 9 inch springform pan that has been lined with palstic wrap or parchment paper. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight. Remove from pan and glaze with chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp corn syrup
8 ounces dark chocolate chopped

Scald the cream in the microwave until almost boiling. Pour over chocolate in a small bowl and let stand for five minutes. Stir until smooth then stir in the corn syrup. Pour over the cooled biscuit cake using a spatula to help cover it evenly.

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Strawberry Shortcake Scones

These great scones are inspired by my favorite summer barbeque dessert and were a collaborative effort with the kids for breakfast this morning. They were simply delicious and would be a fantastic at a weekend brunch. The thick cream is an absolute must on these!

I start these in my food processor because it is so fast but they can be made just as easily in a large bowl by cutting the butter in with a pastry blender or even 2 knifes held between the fingers.


In a food processor, combine:


3 cups flour


3/4 cup sugar


4 tsp baking powder


½ tsp salt


Cut in:


¾ cup very cold butter, cubed


Pulse process until this mixture resembles a coarse meal. It is very important that pea sized pieces of butter remain in this mixture. Remove to a large bowl and toss in:


2 cups fresh strawberries, quartered


Mix together:


2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp vanilla extract


1 cup milk


Pour this over the surface of the dry mixture. Toss all together gently with a wooden only enough to form a dough ball. It is important that you work this dough as little as possible or the finished scones will be too dense and heavy. Roll to 1 inch thickness and cut out scones with biscuit cutter or in triangles with a sharp knife and place on parchment lined baking sheet.


Brush the tops of the scones with an egg wash of 1 egg beaten together with 1 tbsp water. You can sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar (or just plain sugar) if desired but this is, of course, optional.


Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Baking time will vary depending on the size of your biscuit cutter. This recipe makes 8 large scones. Serve with thick cream.


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Jos Louis Cake

Here is a pretty simple dessert that pays homage to the popular Jos Louis snack cake from Vachon. I've used my standard chocolate scratch cake recipe with some marshmallow frosting in the middle and covered the whole thing in a layer of chocolate ganache...way better than it's name sake! As I was finishing this cake off, my daughter arrived home with a bunch of 13 year olds working on a school film project so this one did not last long.

Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup soured milk
1 cup black coffee
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes.
Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 inch cake pans or one large 10 -12 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The time will be longer for a larger pan. Cool completely.

Marshmallow Frosting

2 egg whites
¼ tsp cream of tarter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp corn syrup
1/3 cup water

In a small saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer or when a teaspoonful of the mixture dropped into ice water forms a soft ball that holds its shape when cool.

Whip the egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla extract to soft peaks in a large bowl. With the mixer on medium high speed, slowly begin to pour the sugar syrup down the side of the egg white bowl in a thin continuous stream. Continue to whip the frosting until it forms stiff peaks.

Frost your cake immediately with this frosting while it is still slightly warm as it is easier to spread smoothly than if allowed to cool completely.

Chocolate Ganache Glaze


12 oz semisweet or dark chocolate chips
½ cup whipping cream

Scald whipping cream almost to boiling and pour over the chocolate chips. Let stand for 3-4 minutes before stirring well until smooth.

Split a single layer of the cake horizontally and fill the ceenter with the marshmallow frosting. Finally spread the chocolate ganache over the cake and allow it to cool. Serve.
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Prime Rib Hash

After spending the last 3 years as a business student, yesterday it all came to an end with the writing of my last exam so I guess I'm now officially unemployed! Who wants to face that on an empty stomach!? ;)

I'm not normally a big morning eater but we went out to an early supper last night and I woke up famished today. A quick dig through the fridge yielded some leftover prime rib steak and a bag of Coleman's touton dough...cha-ching! Find a touton recipe here.

My mind went immediately to a great brunch recipe that makes good use of leftover prime rib roast or steak. With the Easter holiday starting tomorrow, I thought this was a good time to feature this hearty and delicious prime rib hash which is an outstanding choice for any weekend brunch.


Serves 4


4 large potatoes, peeled, washed and diced
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to season


Heat the oil and butter over medium heat and add the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper And cook until golden brown. In the last couple of minutes of cooking time add:


2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup minced red onion


Cook just until the onions and garlic have softened before finally tossing in.


3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp hot sauce (or to taste)
12 ounces, thinly sliced prime rib roast or steak


Toss together in the pan for only a minute or so to warm the steak. Serve with a fried egg on top.


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Back to the Beginning: One Million Page Hits

 I wanted to pause today and take a moment to thank all the regular readers of Rock Recipes on the occasion of a little milestone in the life of this blog. Yesterday we reached our one millionth  page hit since the inception of the site.

Daily page hits on the site can now routinely reach into the thousands but on the first day I started the site had only 89 hits, all family and friends who I had emailed to tell that I was finally getting around to actually writing down some of the recipes they had been requesting for years. I wanted to include a photo with every recipe so the blog format seemed ideal for this purpose.

Since then, I have heard from many, many Newfoundlanders transplanted to almost every corner of the planet; from a young bride in  Texas who wanted to surprise her Newfoundland husband with a blueberry duff for a Christmas dinner far from home, to a couple in Brazil looking for a supply of  savoury to make traditional Newfoundland dressing to share part of their food culture with new friends in their adopted country.

Sometimes my busy life has left me without the time to post regularly but eventually I always get drawn back to posting new recipes that I've tried, adapted, or outright invented. In a few days I will complete a college business program that I've been enrolled in for the past 3 years and I will be transitioning into a new career and work life soon. Whatever new changes and challenges lie ahead, I will continue to contribute to this blog...I still have to eat right? I hope you all will continue to drop by and see what's cooking in my St. John's, Newfoundland kitchen.

As I did on the occasion of our 500,000th page hit I've reposted the very first recipe that ever appeared on Rock Recipes and still one of my favorite dessert inventions, Strawberry Screech Black Forest Cake.

Strawberry Screech Black Forest Cake


Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup soured milk
1 cup black coffee
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla flavouring

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes.

Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely. Split cake into 4 layers.

Strawberry Filling

4 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
¾ cup sugar

Combine in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Thicken with 1 ½ tbsp corn starch dissolved in ¼ cup cold water. Boil gently for 1 additional minute, stirring constantly. Divide in 2 portions and cool completely.

Vanilla Whipped Cream

1 1/2 pints whipping cream
6 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine and whip until soft mounds form.

Method:

Split individual layers of cake into two layers making four layers in total. Sprinkle each layer of cake with an ounce of Screech.. Spread a layer of vanilla whipped cream on the first cake layer, followed alternately with a layer of cake, a layer of strawberry filling, cake,then cream again finishing with the final layer of cake . Frost sides of cake with vanilla whipped cream and using a piping bag pipe a border of whipped cream around the top of the cake. Fill the middle of the border with the remaining strawberry filling. Decorate the cake as desired with chocolate dipped strawberries and drizzle of chocolate ganache.

Ganache Glaze

1 cup chocolate chips
¼ cup whipping cream
Heat whipping cream to scalding but do not boil. Stir in chocolate chips and stir over low heat until smooth. You can dip strawberries in this glaze to garnish your cake as well as drizzling it over the cake for the final presentation. I use a piping bag with a number 3 writing tip to drizzle the ganache over the cake.

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Herbed Flatbread Mozza Burgers with Roasted Tomato Jam

The sunny weather these past couple of days reminds me of the hopefully many more days ahead to prepare meals on the backyard grill. We practically live off the grill from spring until fall and try to use it in as many ways as possible, grilling all kinds of chops, steaks and vegetables, as well as making good use of  the rotisserie for succulent whole chickens and even turkey.

As we have previously featured on Rock Recipes, one of the things that very often accompany our summer BBQ meals is our Grilled Flatbreads . They get used in a number of ways, from being served with simple salads to the base for grilled pizzas or as shown here, an alternative hamburger roll.

This particular version of these flatbreads adds some herbs and minced garlic for a very flavorful compliment to summer salads or soups or as a wrap for a different take on a grilled burger.

As shown above, I like to shape the burger patties in an elongated oval shape rather than circles, which makes them fit into the flatbread wraps better. They get topped with melting mozzarella and as has previously been featured several times on this blog, a very versatile Roasted Tomato Jam . The herbs in this flatbread are meant to compliment beef but you can always change up the herbs to better suit what they are being served with; perhaps sage or savoury with chicken or dill and tarragon with fish. Experiment to find some great combinations.

Flatbread Dough


Makes sufficient for 6 - 8 flatbreads.


4 cups flour
1/2 tsp instant rise yeast
1 & 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 tsp sea salt
1 clove finely minced garlic
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme


Place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with a dough hook. Mix for 5 -10 minutes on medium speed. You may need to add a little more flour, a tablespoon at a time until the dough doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl. Alternatively stir together with a wooden spoon before turning out onto a floured bread board and kneading for 5-10 minutes. Cover the dough and allow to rise for about an hour until about doubled in size. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for another few minutes. Divide into 6-8 equal portions, form into balls and let rest for about 10-15 minutes before stretching or rolling the dough out into about 9 inch rounds.


Preheat your gas grill to about medium low heat and place the stretched dough portions a couple at a time directly on the grill. Watch these carefully, adjust the temperature and move them around on the grill as needed. At this point you can brush them with garlic olive oil if you like before flipping the flatbreads and grilling them for about another minute.

Roasted Tomato Jam

6 medium vine ripened tomatoes diced
2 cloves minced garlic
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar


Toss together in a shallow baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for about an hour stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has reduced off the tomatoes are the consistency of jam. You can stir in your choice of chopped fresh herbs at the end of the cooking time if you like or just serve it plain.


Smoked Paprika Burgers


For each burger combine:


6 ounces lean ground beef
1 tbsp Worcesthershire Sauce
pinch kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 clove roasted garlic, mashed into a paste
2 tbsp hot sauce (optional)

Form into oval patties and grill until fully cooked. Over each patty, melt

2 ounces grated mozzarella

Top with the roasted tomato jam, wrap in a warm flatbread and serve.

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Double Crunch Honey Garlic Pork Chops

Today's recipe combines a couple of past ideas that have appeared on Rock Recipes; one another pork chop recipe and one a chicken wing recipe. One of my favorite comfort food meals is Chicken Fried Pork Chops served with mashed potatoes and gravy and one of my favorite chicken wing recipes is the very popular Crispy Honey Garlic Wings. Here, both get combined to produce one of the best pork chop recipes I have ever tried. The kids absolutely loved it too.

Chicken Fried Pork Chops


6 center loin pork chops, well trimmed


Sift together:


1 cup flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp ground sage
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper


Make an egg wash by whisking together:


2 eggs
4 tbsp water


Season the pork chops with salt and pepper, then dip the chops in the flour and spice mixture. Dip the chop into the eggwash and then a final time into the flour and spice mix, pressing the mix into the chop to get good contact.


Heat a skillet on the stove with about a half inch of canola oil covering the bottom. You will want to carefully regulate the temperature here so that the chops do not brown too quickly on the outside before they are fully cooked on the inside. I find just below medium heat works well. I use a burner setting of about 4 1/2 out of 10 on the dial and fry them gently for about 4 or 5 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.

Drain on a wire rack for a couple of minutes before dipping the cooked chops into the Honey Garlic Sauce. Serve with noodles or rice.

Honey Garlic Sauce

In a medium saucepan add



2 tbsp olive oil
3 – 4 cloves minced garlic


Cook over medium heat to soften the garlic but do not let it brown. Add:


1 cup honey
¼ cup soya sauce
1 tsp ground black pepper


Simmer together for 5-10 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Watch this carefully as it simmers because it can foam up over the pot very easily.

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Blue Cheese Steak Puttanesca

Yesterday was a glorious sunny day here in Newfoundland; our native readers will know how much we appreciate those. It was about 15 degrees C on my back patio and the grill just cried out to be sparked up.

Monday is our "madness" day in terms of kid activities like music lessons, basketball and dance, making it the busiest day of the week for us with only an hour or so window to sneak in a quick family meal and this one fit the bill perfectly.

I had some over-ripe brown kumato tomatoes in the fridge that needed to be used up, so I decided to dress up the striploin steaks that were earmarked for the backyard grill with a quick and simple puttanesca sauce and some melting crumbled extra cream blue cheese on top. My nursing student niece at nearby Memorial University dropped by and appreciatively lucked into an extra steak. Gotta feed the learning brain!

Don't like blue cheese? Try a smoked cheese like mozza, cheddar or gouda.

Serves 4

4 striploin steaks about 1 inch thick
kosher salt and pepper to season

Grill on high heat to taste, about 3 1/2 minutes per side for medium rare.

Rest the steaks for 5 minutes before topping with the puttanesca sauce and crumbled blue cheese and popping under the broiler for only a minute or two before serving with a simple salad or pasta.

Puttanesca Sauce

Over medium heat in a sauté pan add

2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic

Cook for a minute to soften the garlic before adding:

6 -8 medium sized tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
pinch chili flakes (optional)
3 tbsp chopped capers
salt and pepper to season (careful, capers can be salty)

Simmer together, stirring occasionally until the sauce is reduced and thickened to a jam-like consistency. In the final minute of cooking stir in

3 tbsp chopped fresh basil

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Sausage & Pork Tenderloin Wellington

Here is another one of my lazy dinner party ideas that I've actually served twice in the past month. This is the sort of thing I do like on the menu because it can be prepared well in advance and then popped into a hot oven and virtually ignored while you entertain your guests. There's nothing worse than being absent at your own party because you've chained yourself to the stove with a time-demanding menu. 

I served this with oven roasted  potatoes and carrots which also demand very little attention from the host. To complete the dinner, I had earlier prepared a batch of my very popular Perfect Onion Gravy which goes well with all the different components of this meal.

When I made this a few weeks ago, I actually made enough for two meals, freezing the completed sausage and tenderloin rolls wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Fast forward a few weeks to a class pot-luck supper when all I had to do was take the rolls out of the freezer and while still frozen, I wrapped the pastry around them, placed them on a baking sheet, and thawed them in the fridge overnight. A quick egg wash later and they were popped into the oven a couple of hours before the pot-luck started. It worked out perfectly, so I've decided now to always prepare enough for a fuss free second meal.

Serves 4-6

2 large pork tenderloins

1 pound uncooked mild Italian sausage meat (just remove casings if you can only find link sausages)

1 tbsp smaoked paprika

3 cloves finely minced garlic

2 sheets frozen puff pastry (thawed in the fridge)

salt and pepper to season

Place the pork tenderlon on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. Using a mallet (or even a rolling pin in a pinch), pound the whole tenderloin to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Do the same for the second tenderloin and place it beside the first to form a rectangle. Season with salt and pepper and rub the minced garlic over the surface of the tenderloin. Sprinkle the smoked paprika over the tenderloin before evenly spreading the sausage meat evenly over the surface of the tenderloin.

Roll the whole thing up into a tight roll. Wrap the roll in the puff pastry. Depending on the size of your roll, you may have to roll out the dough a little or join another half sheet with a little brushing of egg wash. If you choose, you can decorate the top of the Wellington with puff pastry leaves. Work quickly with very cold dough for best results.Just cut leaf shapes out of the dough with a very sharp knife. You can then score lines into the leaves with the tip of a sharp knife; one down the middle and shorter lines radiating from it to replicate the veins in a leaf. Lightly brush the whole thing with an eggwash made from whisking together:

1 egg

3tbsp water

Pop the completed Wellington into the fridge until ready to bake. The dough should be very cold so at least a half hour in the fridge will be necessary in order for the pastry to puff properly. Bake in a preheated 425 degree F oven for 15 minutes befopre reducing the heat to 375 degrees F until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees F. This should take about another hour, maybe less for smaller rolls, trust the meat thermometer for the most accurate means of testing for a fully cooked Wellington. Let the Wellington sit for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

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Cinnamon Waffles with Apricot Orange & Brandy Compote

As the weekend approaches I usually put my head to planning at least one family brunch and this one is a particular favorite of mine because of my life-long fondness for apricots. I like the combination of orange and apricot because the acidity of the orange is very complimentary to apricot and helps balance the sweetness a little. The alcohol in the brandy gets cooked off when it's boiled but still adds a little something special to this great compote which I love to serve warm on top of freshly made waffles. I wouldn't complain about a dollop of whipped cream either but I'm watching my weight... you go right ahead. ;)

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1 egg
1cup milk
3 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Sift together dry ingredients. Beat eggs add milk, oil and vanilla extract. Add to dry ingredients and whisk together until smooth. Use about ¼ cup batter per waffle, depending upon the size of your waffle maker. Cook until golden brown. Makes about 8 waffles.

Apricot Compote

2 cups chopped dried apricots
orange juice

Transfer the chopped aricots into a small pot and add enough orange juice to cover them. You can let this sit overnight if you want to make it in the morning but it will still be fine, just slow simmered without soaking, it just will take a little longer.

Add

pinch salt
1/4 cup  brandy
1/2 cup sugar (more or less to taste, depending on the sweetness of the apricots. Start with less, you can always add more if need be.)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Simmer slowly over low heat for about a half hour, stirring about every 5 minutes. You may need to add a little more orange juice or water if the liquid boils away too quickly. When the apricots are soft and tender and the juice and sugar has reduced to a syrupy consistency, it is ready. Serve warm over waffles or pancakes.

Cranberry Crunch Muffins

As a business student, this past year I have been part of a group project to develop a business plan which we based on a Newfoundland themed restaurant. This week marked the end of the course where our student group was required to do a 45 minute business plan presentation  to a panel of real investment bankers. As part of our strategy to butter up the panel, we served them these delicious muffins featuring wild cranberries from the barrens around Newtown, Bonavista Bay.

The strategy worked and we received some very complimentary comments on our business plan but even more for these awesome muffins. One of the panelists even mentioned that she didn't like muffins but none-the-less managed to finish the last crumb of the one she was served.

The recipe brings together a moist vanilla based muffin with some tart cranberries and a satisfying oatmeal crunch topping. Raspberries, blueberries or partridgeberries are easily substituted for the cranberries to make what may well be the perfect brunch muffin. 

Makes about 18 muffins

Sift together and set aside:

2 1/2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment in place, whisk together on high speed until foamy and slightly stiffened.

2 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix together in a measuring cup with a spout:

1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Slowly add the oil and butter mixture to the egg mixture in a slow stream as the mixer continues to whisk.

Mix together

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Add slowly to the mixing bowl continuing to mix but at a reduced speed.

Fold in the dry ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula being careful not to over mix. Don't worry about lumps in the batter, they are fine. When the dry ingredients are almost incorporated, gently fold in

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Spoon batter into well greased muffin tins, filling them to the top. 

 

Oatmeal Crunch Topping 

In a large bowl toss together:

1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cups oats (large)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar

Using your hands, rub thoroughly through the dry ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, cut in small cubes.

Sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly over the tops of the muffins.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for about 20-25 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. The baking time may vary depending on whether fresh or frozen berries are used.

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Easy Cinnamon Roll Danish

If you love a good breakfast pastry, then this recipe is right up your street. I turn this easy to make and versatile dough into several versions of a breakfast danish; from simple butter crescent rolls to pretty raspberry pinwheels. Unlike many complex danish doughs, which are much akin to the intricacy of making croissants, this dough doesn't even get kneaded. How easy is that?!

1 envelope yeast
1 tsp sugar
½ cup lukewarm water

Dissolve sugar into the warm water and sprinkle the yeast over the water. Let stand for 15 minutes.
In a food processor mix together:

4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
½ tsp salt

Pulse in:

¾ cup butter, very cold, cut into small cubes

Do not over incorporate the butter into the flour mixture. There should still be pea sized chunks of butter in the mix; the same as if you were making good pastry.

Remove the mixture from the food processor and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Whisk together:

3 eggs
½ cup whipping cream

Stir in the yeast mixture and pour over the flour mixture and toss together with a wooden spoon, just enough to make a dough form. It is not necessary to need this dough. Divide in two portions. Each portion makes about 8-10 pastries so if you don’t need it all right away, double wrap one portion in plastic wrap and freeze it for later.

This dough needs to be rested in the fridge for several hours or overnight.

For Cinnamon Roll Danish, roll the dough out into a 12x18 rectangle. Sprinkle the entire surface with cinnamon sugar and about 1 cup of raisins. Starting at the short side of the rectangle of the rectangle, roll the dough up into a cylinder pinching the seam together to seal. Cut into ¾ inch thick slices.

For turnovers, roll out to about ¼ inch thick and cut into 4 inch squares.   Spoon a tablespoon of raspberry compote in the center and fold over, pressing the edges together to seal.

For pinwheels, still using a 4 inch square of dough, make a 1 inch slit at each corner of the dough, cutting toward the middle. Spoon a tablespoon of raspberry jam in the center then pull every second point of dough toward the center of the pastry.

For plain crescent danish, roll out into a 12x18 rectangle, then cut into tall triangles, 12 inches long and roll those up from the widest end.

All danishes should be brushed with an egg wash made from whisking together 1 egg with 2 tbsp water before baking on a parchment lined baking sheet at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
A simple glaze can be made for any of these pastries by mixing together until completely smooth:

½ cup icing sugar
A couple of drops of vanilla extract
2 tbsp whipping cream or milk
Drizzle in a thin stream over the pastries.


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