For pastry week on the GBBO I decided to have a go at Danish Pastries. I opted for two different fillings: pecan and maple syrup and marzipan with apricot jam.

For the pastry recipe itself I opted for Paul Hollywood's recipe. It takes a long time as you need to leave it overnight and it makes loads. I decided to freeze half the dough after I made it, or we would be eating danish pastries for breakfast, lunch and dinner! They are, however, delicious.

For the pastry you will need:

500g strong white bread flour
10g salt
80g caster sugar
10g insrant yeast
2 eggs
90ml cool water
125g tepid milk
250g unsalted butter

Start by adding all the above ingredients, expect the butter to a mixing bowl. I got to test out my new food mixer, by using the dough hook and mixing on low for 2 minutes and medium for a further 6.

Leave to rise in the fridge for 1 hour.

The roll out into a rectangle approximately 1cm thick. Thin the butter out and put on the first 2/3 of the dough. Fold it over three times. Leave for an hour in the fridge and repeat this process a further 2 times.

Now leave overnight in the fridge.

Pecan and Maple Danish Pastries


For the filling you will need

60g Pecan nuts
1tbsp maple syrup
1tbsp soft brown sugar

Icing sugar and a little water to make the drizzle.

Finely chop the pecan nuts and mix with the brown sugar and maple syrup.

Roll the dough into an rectangle. Cover with the nut mixture and roll up. Cut into dish and squash these down on some baking parchment. Leave to rise. (I put half of theses into the freezer at this point.)

Bake at 180C until golden brown.

Allow to cool before making up a small amount of icing and drizzling it over the danish pastries.


Marzipan And Apricot Pinwheels

For the filling you will need:

Marzipan
Apricot jam

Cut small squares from the rolled out dough of approximately 4cm by 4cm.

At each corner cut a diagonal line that goes 1cm before the middle.

Roll a thin piece of marzipan and place in the middle.

Add a teaspoon of apricot jam.

Fold the sides into the centre to make the pinwheel shape.

Bake at 180C until golden brown


I am pleased to report that my boys though that these were worth the wait!