Golden Rich Danish Pastry

Basic Danish Pastry:

• 3 pkg. active dry yeast
• 1/2 c. very warm water
• 3/4 c. milk
• 1 egg
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 c. sifted regular flour
• 3/4 lb. (3 sticks) very cold butter or margarine

Stir until yeast dissolves in warm water. Then stir in milk, eggs, sugar and salt. Stir in 3 1/4 c. flour to make a soft dough. Beat dough vigorously for 2 minutes until smooth and satiny.

Sprinkle pastry board with 2/3 of the remaining flour. Turn out the dough, form into a flat ball, sprinkle with the remaining flour and roll into an 18 x 12 inch rectangle. Slice the very cold butter or margarine into thin strips, lengthwise; place over 2/3 of the dough to form a 12 inch square. Fold unbuttered third over middle third, then opposite end over the top. Roll out slightly, then again fold in thirds. Repeat the process four times more. It is not necessary to chill the dough between rollings. However, if at the end of the rollings the dough seems quite soft; you may chill it for an hour or more, covered with plastic wrap. Roll the chilled dough out into a 16 x 24 inch rectangle. Cut into quarters lengthwise and into sixths crosswise. You will have 24 – 4 inch squares. The squares can be filled with a tablespoon of the following filling:

Cream Cheese Filling:

• 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tbsp. beaten egg
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. lemon extract

Fruit Filling:

• 1 Tbsp. canned pie filling – blueberry, cherry or apple

Fill the squares, pinch the edges and let all the pastries rise in a warm place about an hour. Place the pastries in a very hot oven 450 degrees F. and then immediately turn the heat down to 375 degrees F. and bake for 15 minutes. Let all cool on rack and drizzle with icing, powdered sugar thinned down with evaporated milk and vanilla.