Key Lime Fruit Tart with Graham Pate Brisee

There's no reason that a key lime pie can't be something more.

Something more beautiful.

Something more delicious.

Something more fruity.

Instead of slathering the top of the pie with whipped cream, bedazzle the tart with fruits in season.

You can still serve it with whipped cream on the side.  A win-win for you and the key lime.

Raspberry-Lime Danish Coffee Cake

Got Danish dough in the fridge?  You've got coffee cake.

RASPBERRY-LIME DANISH COFFEE CAKE

INGREDIENTS

For the dough

1/4 piece of Danish Dough.  Click HERE for the recipe.

For the filling

1 8-ounce package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon lime powder (optional)
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
zest of 1 lime

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

To finish

egg wash (1 egg whisked together with 2 tablespoons water)
1 pint fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
zest of half a lime

PROCEDURE

•Preheat the oven to 375º.

•Roll out the Danish dough into a rough 8" x 16" rectangle.

•Along the long side, cut 1 1/2" - 2" strips along either side of the rectangle, about 1 inch apart.

•Place all the filling ingredients in a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment.  Mix until smooth.

•Spoon the filling onto the middle of the danish and spread evenly.  Place the frozen raspberries on top top of the filling.  Fold the strips over, across the filling, pressing gently (It's ok if the strips overlap, they'll still open a bit in the oven).  Brush the dough with egg wash.

•Cover the Danish with plastic wrap and proof for 1 hour on your kitchen counter.  Egg wash again before baking.

•Bake for half an hour to 45 minutes or until the outside of the Danish is golden brown.

•Allow the Danish to cool and place fresh raspberries along the open center of the Danish.

•Sift confectioner's sugar over the coffee cake.  Lightly zest a lime over the finished coffee cake.

Strawberry Lemon Dream Cake

I was picking strawberries from my garden and for every one I added to the basket, another would find its way into my mouth.  Glorious.  They didn't "suggest" that they may be strawberries, as grocery store berries tend to do.  They were unadulterated strawberry, no fruity innuendo from these guys.

Almost ready but a few days on the vine won't hurt.

Because they are so wonderful they deserve to sing, no matter how they're eaten.

I made a simple cake with just a touch of pizzaz to make it worthy of the ruby jewels. This is my favorite kind of cake, where uncomplicated elements lend themselves to being assembled into a confection that looks as if it was transported from a four-star pastry shop in Paris straight into your kitchen.  All the while, the cake itself is scrumptious without trying too hard.  It's simple, in every way.  But it doesn't have to look that way.

Aside from the lemon and strawberry, there are subtle notes of mint and almond, giving the cake both depth and lingering refreshment.  Perfect for a summer day.

STRAWBERRY LEMON DREAM CAKE

INGREDIENTS

For the Lemon Chiffon Cake

1 cup pastry flour
1 cup sugar, divided
4 eggs, separated and brought to room temperature
1/2 cup lemon juice (about 3-4 large lemons)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
zest of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

For the slightly minty, almond infused pastry cream filling

3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 cup + 2 tablespoons corn starch
4 egg yolks
pinch of salt
3 large mint leaves, cut into strips (chiffonade)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

3 cups heavy cream for whipping

For the Strawberry Coulis

1/4 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped into small pieces
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

To finish

1 pound strawberries (or 30 large strawberries for the inside of the cake and a few small perfect berries for garnishing the top
a few leaves of mint for garnish
7 ounces of almond paste

PROCEDURE

For the Lemon Chiffon Cake

•Preheat the oven to 325º.

•In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 4 egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest and grapeseed oil.  Sift the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, salt and baking powder over the egg yolk mixture and whisk until very smooth.

•In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar.  Whisk on high until the egg whites turn white and increase slightly in volume.  Slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and continue whisking on high until the egg whites create smooth, stiff peaks but don't whisk so much that they dry out and start to chunk.

•Transfer the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture and gently fold together until a smooth batter forms and no white streaks remain.

•Transfer the batter to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Gently spread the batter in an even layer over the sheet pan with a large offset spatula.

•Bake for 25 minutes or until the cake gently springs back when gently poked and just begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.  Allow to cool completely.

•Run a sharp knife along the edge of the cake to fully release it.  Place another piece of parchment on top of the cake and place a second sheetp pan on top of that parchment.  Flip the cake and turn the cake out onto the 2nd parchment lined sheet pan.  Cut the cake into three even strips, 5 1/3" wide and 12" long.

For the pastry cream

•Combine the milk, 3/4 cup heavy cream and mint in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer.

•In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and pinch salt.  Whisk until the mixture thickens and ribbons.  Slowly add the hot milk mixture, whisking all the while so that the eggs don't curdle.  Continue whisking until smooth.

•Transfer the mixture back into the saucepan and whisk over medium heat until the mixture thickens to the consistency of mayo.  Take from the heat and add the pat of butter and the almond extract.  Whisk the butter and extract into the pastry cream and then pour the pastry cream through a fine sieve into a large bowl.  Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap, making sure to press the plastic wrap over the surface of the cream so that it doesn't form a skin.  Refrigerate until completely cool, about 2 hours.

For the coulis

•Combine all the coulis ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer over low heat until the strawberries are very soft and all the sugar has melted.

•Transfer the coulis to a blender and blitz until smooth.  Pour through a sieve into a small bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge until cool, about 1/2 an hour.


To finish

•Hull the 30 large strawberries and set aside.

•Whip the 3 cups of whipped cream until stiff peaks form.  Take 1/3 of the whipped cream and whisk into the pastry cream.  Gently fold the remaining whipped cream into the pastry cream.

•Place a layer of cake on a cake platter.  Place 15 strawberries hulled side down, evenly onto the cake.  Pipe half the lightened pastry cream in between the strawberries, using a small offset to smooth out the cream over the strawberries.

•Place a second layer of the cake atop the cream laced strawberries and arrange the remaining 15 strawberries atop the second layer.  Pipe the remaining pastry cream among the strawberries and smooth with an offset.  Place the final layer of cake atop the strawberries and cream and place in the freezer to set, about 2 hours.

•In the meantime roll out the almond paste to measure slightly larger than 5 1/3" x 12" and using varied sizes of open/plain pastry tips, punch a random pattern of differing sized circles along the almond paste.

•Once the cake has set (test the cream to see if it feels very firm), remove from the freezer and place the almond paste sheet on top.

•Dip a very sharp serrated knife into hot water and wipe dry.  Trip the sides of the cake, gently sawing to keep the cream from spurting out the sides of the cake.  The more firm the cake is the cleaner the trimmed sides will be.  But the cake will be much harder to cut.  So take your time in your gentle sawing and keep the knife hot and clean throughout the process.

•Gently spoon coulis into the open almond paste holes.  Serve immediately or cover the sides the cake with parchment and then cover again with plastic wrap to keep the cake moist.

Sunday Suppers: Low Country Pommes Dauphine for Father's Day

Early supper on a lazy Sunday is a treat.  It's lovely to spend the afternoon puttering around the kitchen, taking stock of what's left in the fridge and pantry.  I challenge myself to limit ingredients to what needs to be used immediately.  No running off to the grocery store.  But it has to be something special and thoughtful, especially on Father's Day.  It doesn't hurt when I can add an unexpected pastry element to the mix that pulls everything together.

Lately, I've been craving a low country boil, a convivial pile of southern goodness where all the ingredients are shoved into a huge pot to boil and dumped onto a table lined with newspaper.  Shrimp, potatoes, sausage, corn, spices.  Happiness.

It's best for a large crowd, though.  And as I was suffering from a commensurate craving for pommes dauphine, why not scale it down and spiff it up?

LOW COUNTRY POMMES DAUPHINE
(Makes enough to serve 4)

Pommes Dauphine is traditionally a combination of choux paste (think profiterole/eclair/cream puff shell) and potato.  Instead of baking, however, it's fried.  It's airy.  It's crunchy.  It's addictive.  It's also missing something if I'm going to make it low country.  So I add fresh corn kernels and a touch of cayenne.  For the "boil" I actually grill the ingredients to keep it simple.

INGREDIENTS

For the pommes dauphine

vegetable oil for frying

1large potato, preferably Yukon gold, cooked until fork tender, peeled and riced

Potato, cooked until fork tender.  Peeled and pushed through a ricer.

1 cob of fresh sweet corn, kernels cut from the cob.  Pat dry on a paper towel.

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup flour

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs

For the shrimp

24 jumbo shrimp

1 clove garlic, finely minced

juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon

1 teaspoon olive oil

salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon Pimenton Picante (hot paprika)

For the "boil"

1 large Kielbasa cut into quarters and then each quarter cut in half

3/4 cup grits

4 small pats of unsalted butter

1/4 cup creme fraiche

1 small jar pimento

salt and pepper to taste

To finish

2 cobs of fresh sweet corn, the kernels cut off

1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped

PROCEDURE

For the pommes dauphine

•In a large pot, pour enough oil into the pot so that it's at least 2" deep.  Place over medium heat and attach a candy/frying thermometer.  You are aiming for 340º to 350º F.

•In a saucepan, combine the milk, water, butter, a generous pinch of salt and the cayenne pepper.  Bring to a simmer, allowing the butter to melt completely.

•Immediately add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon over medium heat until the "paste" comes away from the sides of the saucepan.  Continue stirring over the heat for 2 more minutes to allow moisture to evaporate.  (Traditionally, the potato for pomme dauphine is added later, during the egg addition.  However, I like to add it to the initial mix to insure that I've whisked off as much moisture as humanly possible in order to get a fluffier fritter)

•Add the riced potato and the corn to the saucepan and stir the paste for another minute over medium heat. Test for seasoning, adding salt and pepper before adding the eggs.

•Remove from the stove top and continue stirring.  While stirring add the eggs, one at a time, and continue stirring until a smooth paste is formed.

Dauphine paste, ready for piping.

•Transfer the paste to a large pastry bag fit with a large open star tip.

Piping and frying

•Once the oil has come to temperature, pipe inch-long dollops of the choux paste into the oil, using a knife to cut the dough off into the oil or use the side of the pan to do the same.  Fry until the entire fritter is deeply golden brown.  Remove with a slotted spoon and turn out onto a plate lined with paper towels.  Continue in this manner with the remaining paste.

For the kielbasa

•Heat a grill pan and coat well with non-stick cooking spray.  Once the grill is hot, place the sausage on the grill to heat through completely.

For the shrimp

•In a large bowl, combine the garlic, zest and lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and pimenton in a small bowl.  Stir to combine.  Add the shrimp and stir to coat evenly

•Spray the grill again and place the shrimp evenly on the grill.  Cook on each side until just opaque, about 2 minutes on each side.

For the grits

•In a large pot, bring 3 1/2 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil.  Stir in the grits.  Reduce the heat to low and cover.  Cook for 15 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick.

To plate

•Divide the grits evenly among 4 plates and place a pat of butter upon the middle of the grits.  Arrange the Kielbasa and then the shrimp on top of the grits.

•Drain the jar of sliced pimientos well, if you need to, turn them out onto a paper towel and gently pat to remove excess moisture.  Combine them in a small bowl along with the the creme fraiche.  Stir to and season with salt and pepper.  Dollop the creme fraiche sauce on the plate and add the pommes dauphine.  Garnish with the corn kernels and a a bit of flat leaf parsley.

Running My Buns Off: Broccoli Salad

Whether you're a marathoner or an "I carried Costco bulk items from the car to the house, that counts as a workout" kind of person, chances are no matter how happy you are with your chosen exercise regimen, there are days when you feel the need to reset your body with a healthy meal.  This is especially true for bakers, professional or home enthusiast alike.  We play with butter, flour and sugar on a daily basis.  We sample the finished product and we dip into the raw batter.  We sample and dip some more.

I hate to say this but there comes a time in every baker's life when we crave a vegetable that isn't wrapped in puff pastry.  Saturday is my usual day of reckoning, when a week of dipping and sampling weighs heavily on my heart.  Literally.  Saturday also happens to be the traditional day of "long runs" for those in training for a marathon (or half marathon).  It's lovely to cut all that carbo loading with a life affirming vitamin rich, lean protein laced meal and it makes you a little lighter on your feet.

Here's my favorite late spring offering that's a riff off of a broccoli salad my friend and fellow baker Michele Gregroire Joyce made for a baker's gathering.  Her salad contained real bacon, raisins (or Craisins, I don't remember anymore) and a dressing that had luscious hints of real mayo.  I doctored it as best I could to keep all the fantastic flavors but cut down on some of the illicit stuff.  (After further research, I see that Paula Deen has a similar broccoli salad to what Michele made;  it's a southern staple that my southern family never broke out for me.  Now you can see why it is so good and why I had to doctor it a skosh).

BROCCOLI SALAD

INGREDIENTS

for the salad

2 large heads of broccoli (preferably organic)

If you grow your own broccoli as I do, even better!

1/2 a red onion, minced

1 medium sweet potato or Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into small cubes

2 chicken breasts, skins off

2 cups of low sodium chicken broth (I use Pacific brand organic/free range broth)

6 pieces of prosciutto (or turkey bacon)

for the dressing
(this makes enough to dress this salad and extra to save in a jar for future "dressings")

1 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon chili paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 clove garlic, finely minced

PROCEDURE

for the salad

•Preheat your oven to 375ºF.

•Chop the florets from the broccoli and place in a large salad bowl.  I save the stalks for juicing or soup.

•Pour the chicken broth into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Add the potatoes and cook until fork tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and transfer to the salad bowl with the broccoli florets.  Keep the broth in the saucepan.

Potatoes, cubed.  I prefer sweet potatoes for their superior health benefits but if you've only got a regular spud on hand, it's still a lovely addition to this salad.

•Place the chicken breasts into the broth, making sure the broth covers both breasts.  Continue to simmer.  Gently poach until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken breast reads 165ºF.  Remove the chicken to a cutting board and allow to cool enough to handle.  When cool enough, cut into small pieces, a little smaller than dime sized pieces.  Transfer to the salad bowl.

•Once the oven is preheated, place the prosciutto onto a parchment lined sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes, turning the sheet pan after 7 minutes.  Allow to cool.  Break the prosciutto into small pieces.

•Add the onion and prosciutto pieces to the salad bowl and gently toss to distribute the ingredients.

for the dressing

•In a small mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients but for the olive oil.  Whisk to combine.  Continue whisking and slowly add the olive oil.  Continue whisking until the dressing emulsifies and thickens.

•Pour a little less than half the dressing over the broccoli mixture, or to taste.  Toss gently to evenly coat the ingredients.  Can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge.

FREEGRACE FRIDAYS! Mad Myrtle and the Fledglings

There are babies popping up all over Freegrace.  We've got the ducklings in the brooding room.  We've got tadpoles by the thousand in the pond.  And we've got Mad Myrtle.

Mad Myrtle strikes a pose.

I met Mad Myrtle over a week ago while tending to the vegetable garden, pulling out weeds and lopping off stalks of tall grass.  Pleased with my tidy plot, I walked away to investigate the hops garden.

Myrtle, in repose.

Ray noticed Ruthie barking and growling at my garden "chair."  When he pulled her away, he discovered a nest full of fluffy, hungry chicks.  I hadn't realized that in cleaning up my vegetable garden, I managed to uncover a chickadee nest built into the wood stump I use as a stool.  Ma and Pa chickadee had used the tall grasses surrounding the stump as a protective shield from the outside world.

Hungry Myrtle.

We hid just out of nest range and kept watch to insure that Ma and Pa were still returning to care for their babies.  From what we observed, every few minutes someone came to check on the chicks.  Phew.  So I erected a little chicken wire fence around the stump and tucked a bit of foliage into the wire to provide some camouflage.  We kept watching and it appeared that all was well, if not a little remodeled, in chickadee world.

Supermodel Myrtle.

For the next few days, I kept up my chickadee vigil.  I noticed that the chicks were decreasing in number, little lifeless bodies tucked in among fewer and fewer living chicks.  The surviving chicks were lethargic and silent.  Not a good sign.  I noticed that there were no more visits.  I was worried that all could be lost.

Transporting the three remaining babies for some RandR.

I know a few things about wild birds:

(1)  Babies are always better off with their mamas.

Snooty Myrtle.

(2)  While it may appear that mama has abandoned her babies, that's usually not the case.

(3)  Touching a baby bird will not put a mother bird off of caring for her young.  We're not that stinky.  That Old Wive's Tale is a great disservice to both winged and biped kind.  If you see a baby on the ground and a nest up high, indicating that the little stinker took a fall, you can and should put the bird back into the nest.

Mad Myrtle.

(4)  When chicks fledge, i.e. first leave the nest, they hop around the ground like drunken sorority pledges.  It doesn't look good. They clearly can't fly.  Quite frankly, it's alarming.  But this is normal.  The parents are out there watching and taking care.  The fledgling will find a safe spot to rest and ma and pa will feed them and protect them until they can feed themselves.

(5)  If all bets are off and you're quite sure that the babies have been abandoned, call a wild bird rehab facility.  They exist in every state.  It's illegal in some states to take in wild birds

Grumpy Myrtle.

(6)  I'm a crazy bird lady.  I raised a nest of naked baby Starlings with my mother when I was 12.  They all survived into adulthood.  Present day, facing a nest that had seen 7 chickadees dwindle to three, I considered that it had become unseasonably cold and it was raining.  I knew that if I left the three in the tree stump nest, alone, that none would survive the night.

Fledglings #1 and #2, ready to take on the world.

I took the babies in and fed them (mashed up soft dog food, some organic apple baby food and a ground paste of nuts and seeds that I blitzed together with a bit of water).

Reflective Myrtle.

I kept them warm and after a day and 1/2, they were zippy and sprightly.  I took their little box outside, near the original nest.  Two of the chickadees began calling to their parents in earnest.  So I placed them in the nest enclosure and backed off.  Lo and behold, a chickadee swooped down into the area in response to the calls.  HURRAY!

From her perch, Myrtle checks out the ducklings.

The ducklings keep watch over Myrtle.

 I got a pair of binoculars and noticed that two of the babies had fluttered onto branches by the stump. Moments later, they bumbled across a small bit of field, into the safety of high brush.  They called from their new perches and they were answered by a parental visit.  When a nest is disturbed, chicks tend to fledge early.  Two of the chicks had feathered more fully than the third.  They were bigger and seemed more independent.  They were the ones now nestled in the brush.

#1, tucked away in the brush.

#2, enjoying a spot of dappled sunshine.

I didn't notice the third.  I returned to the nest area and didn't see anything.  I assumed that the third had found cover as well.  But as the sun set, I worried.  I checked again, gingerly lifting up leaves and foliage at the nest site.  And there she was.  The tiniest of the chicks, hiding in the grass under an enormous maple leaf.  Shivering and alone.

Her name is Myrtle.  Mad Myrtle. Once you see her, it's clear that she's made for the name.

 I feed her every 20-30 minutes during daylight hours.  She's now able to sit on a branch without falling over.  She practices her flight skills, skittering across the brooding room to find me for a soft landing.  She just started to clean her beak after feedings, something I've had to do up until yesterday.  We're still working on her learning to feed herself.  Until then, she's my charge.  Once she can nosh on her own, I'll give her a "soft release."  I'll put her cage outside and open it up.  I'll keep the cage outside, so she'll have ready access to food and shelter during her transition.  And hard as it will be, I have to stay away from her because she's likely imprinted on me and to survive, she needs to imprint on her fellow chickadees.  I can't say the same for me.  I'll be forever smitten with Mad Myrtle.

From Helga's Kitchen: CRONUTS!...and Danish.

I inherited all of my mother's recipes.  I have every one of her cookbooks.  I have her recipe boxes, crammed with recipes both handwritten and Xeroxed.  And I have...me, her bun that popped out of the oven with her genetic pastry map neatly etched into my DNA.

CRONUT!  Or WIENERBRøTNUT!  Just out of the fryer.

It shouldn't surprise me anymore that whatever project I find engaging, she'd already mastered it in the '80s.  I find evidence of my lack of originality on a regular basis.  The other day I was cleaning out our brew room at Freegrace.  I have a stack of my mother's cookbooks sitting across from our beer siphons and kegs.  I grabbed a few to arrange them properly on the shelf and out dropped a manila envelope.  It was addressed to her.  The return address was from the American Brew Society.  You can't make this stuff up.  She'd been brewing beer and she never told me.

I called my dad and he confirmed that she set up a distillery in the basement when I was in college.

Of all the times to hide a beer from me.

Danish dough.  Looks damn pretty baked as well.

It's taken me a while to poke through her recipe boxes since she's passed.  The sight of her handwriting brings on a maudlin weep fest.  Her handwriting combined with her love of the things that I hold dear, like laminated doughs and brewing, make me apoplectic and whiny. At every turn, she's pointing to what is written in our combined hearts.  I am my mother's daughter.

But I still want her here with me, making croissant and danish.  I want her guiding me as I'm fully engaged in playing with butter and flour, all the while fussing at my disdain for washing the crusty dishes.  I want to share a nice coffee with her as we sample our baked experiments.  I want to reverse engineer a damn Cronut with her, so we can exclaim together "OURS IS BETTER!"  Because we  WOULD bake it better and we'd say so.  With exclamation points (and with a German accent)!!!

One of Helga's many overstuffed treasure troves.

For quite some time, I've wanted to share my Danish recipe with you.  I've also wanted to dive into Mutti's recipes (that's what a German girl calls her Mama) and share them as well.  As it happens, the first thing I grabbed from her treasure trove was Wienerbrød.  Translated from the Danish:  Viennese Bread.  Translated fully into English:  Danish.  That is, the Danish call Danish, the pastry, Viennese bread.  We call Viennese Bread, Danish.

Bottom line, I found my mom's Danish recipe and I wanted to share it.  It also occurred to me that everyone's trying to figure out how the hell to make Cronuts, that fried croissant-ish donut hybrid so popular in New York at the moment.  From the moment the Cronut squawking started, I hearkened back to the Fry Daddy I was experimenting with in my pastry shop and all the things I threw into it, from croissant dough to brioche.  I also threw in Danish dough and it outshone fried croissant by a mile.  It's a richer dough, more akin to what we know of as a donut, but it has all the butter and layers that we love about croissant.

I have a sneaking suspicion that this is what everyone is looking for.

Let's all make it together and say, "HELGA'S IS BETTER!"  Because it is...and it would make her happy.

CRONUT/ WIENERBRøD /Just plain DANISH

Cronuts, sitting willy nilly.  The layers expand as they want.  It's a beautiful thing.

INGREDIENTS

Close-up of Helga's Recipe

Let me just say that I'm adapting this based on modern advances in baking ingredients (i.e., we don't have "granulated flour" anymore and the yeast, it's so 10 years ago. Helga would approve 100%.

For the Danish dough

for the dough

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup whole milk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (can substitute with vanilla extract)
4 cups All Purpose Flour plus a cup extra for rolling (I use King Arthur All purpose)
1/2 cup sugar
One 1/4 ounce package instant yeast (I use Red Star Platinum instant yeast)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cardamom (optional.  Don't use if you're only make the Cronuts)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

for the butter block

1 pound plus 2 tablespoons unsalted European butter, slightly cooler than room temperature
1/4 cup all purpose flour

For the Cronuts

1 batch Danish dough

2 quarts, grapeseed oil

1 batch pastry cream:

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

pinch salt

2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

To finish the Cronuts:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk

For the Danish filling:

One 8 ounce tub of Mascarpone (I use Vermont Creamery), room temperature
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon flour
zest of 1/2 a lemon
scant pinch salt

jam of choice

To finish the Danish:

Egg wash (1 large egg whisk together with 1 tablespoon of water)
glaze (1 cup of confectioner's sugar whisked with 1 to 2 tablespoons milk)

PROCEDURE

For the Danish dough

*** You'll notice in the original recipe that 2 packets of compressed or active dry yeast are called for.  I prefer instant yeast.  It doesn't require "blooming" and is very reliable compared to active or compressed yeast.  I also recommend only using 1 packet, as that is more than enough yeast for the dough.  ***

•In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the water, milk, eggs and vanilla bean paste until smooth, making sure that the egg yolks are completely incorporated into the mixture.

•In another bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, instant yeast and salt (and cardamom, if using).  Add to the wet ingredients in the mixing bowl and attach the dough hook.

•On slow speed, mix the dough for 5 minutes until smooth.  Add the butter, a few bits at a time.  Continue mixing until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth and shiny, about 5 more minutes.  Turn the dough out onto plastic wrap and cover completely.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes.  In the meantime, make the butter block.

For the butter block

The original illustrations.  I have no idea from which periodical she Xeroxed this.  

•Fold a piece of parchment, the size of a half sheet pan, in half.  Set aside.

•Cut the butter into small pieces. Combine the butter and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment.  Mix on slow until the butter is smooth.

•Transfer the smooth butter mixture to one half of the parchment.  Fold the other half of the parchment over.  Roll the butter into a 8" x 12" rectangle between the parchment.  Cut the butter in half so you have two pieces of butter, both measuring 6" x 8".  Cover both pieces with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 5 minutes.

•Remove the dough from the fridge and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll into a 9" x 18" rectangle.  Place one piece of 6" x 8" dough across the center of the dough and lift the left piece of dough up and over the butter, sealing the edges with your fingers.  Place the other sheet of butter on top and bring the other half of dough over that, again sealing the butter in.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes.

Butter in the middle of a 8" x 18" strip.

Seal the first block of butter in.

Place 2nd butter block on top of the first "fold over."

Fold the remaining flap of dough over the 2nd butter block.  

•Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll the dough into an 8" x 18" strip.  Fold both narrow ends in to meet at the center,

Meeting at the center.

then fold, in half, making 4 layers.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes.  Repeat this procedure one more time.  Cover and chill for 20 minutes and then roll into an 8" x 18" rectangle and simply fold in half.  Wrap in plastic and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Last fold. 

butter, dough, butter, dough, butter, dough

For the cronuts

Make the pastry cream:

•Whisk yolks, sugar, salt, cornstarch and vanilla bean paste  in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

•Simmer cream and milk in a heavy saucepan and slowly pour the hot cream into whisking sugar/yolk mixture until well combined.

•Transfer back to the saucepan and whisk over medium heat until thickened.

•Place in a bowl and cover the top of the cream with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.  Refrigerate until completely cool.  You can add many flavors at this point, including orange blossom or rose oil.

Fry the cronuts:

•Roll out the chilled danish dough to 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface. Allow to rest for 10 minutes . Stamp out "donut" shapes with a very sharp donut cutter (I use an Ateco cutter).  Transfer the donuts and "holes" to a parchment lined sheet pan.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to proof for an hour, until doubled in size.  Be careful to proof in an area no warmer than 70-80ºF.  Many new ovens now have a "bread proof" feature and they tend to run far too hot.  Better that you just cover and allow the proof to take place on the kitchen counter.  It may take longer than an hour but better a well risen pastry than a hockey puck.

•In a large stock pot, heat the oil to 350º to 360º F.  Carefully place the donuts (and the holes) in the oil.  Allow the donuts to fry on one side for 45 - 60 seconds, until deeply golden brown.  Using chopsticks, flip the donuts and fry for a minute more, until both sides are deeply golden brown and they donuts have expanded considerably.  The holes take less than half that time.  Place the donuts on a piece of paper towel to drain and cool.

Can't push these Cronut holes enough. They're dredged in sugar.  Just try them.  Thank me later.

•Once the donuts are cool, coat the outside of the donuts (and holes) with the granulated sugar.  Place the cooled pastry cream in a pastry bag fit with a small open tip.  I find open spaces in the center of the donut holes and wiggle the tip inside and squeeze in the cream.  

•For the glaze, place the confectioner's sugar in a bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of milk.  If the glaze is too thick, add a drop of milk at a time until the glaze is spreadable.  Drizzle on top of the donuts.

For the danish filling

•Combine all ingredients, the mascarpone, yolk, confectioner's sugar, flour, lemon zest and scant pinch salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment.  Mix on medium until smooth.  Transfer the filling to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until firm.

To finish the Danish:

•Preheat your oven to 375ºF.

•Roll the dough 1/8 inch thick.  Cut the dough into 4" x 4" squares.  Cut 1" into each corner of the square.

•Take the left corner of one cut "corner" and press into the center of the square.

Take the left corner of a "corner" and press into the center.

•Continue with the remaining "left corners" to create a pinwheel.

Pinwheel

•Place the pinwheels onto a parchment lined sheet pan and cover with plastic wrap.  Proof in a warm corner of the house until doubled in size.

•Place a dollop, about a tablespoon, of mascarpone filling at the center of each pinwheel and then place a teaspoon of your favorite jam or fruit (I used reconstituted dried cranberry by pouring a few tablespoons of hot water over Craisins) in the center of the filling.  Brush the edges of the pinwheel with egg wash.

•Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is deeply golden brown and the filling is puffed.

•Allow the Danish to cool.  Whisk together the confectioner's sugar and milk.  Drizzle the glaze over the Danish.

***NOTE***  As it is with most laminated doughs that take a bit of work, you'll have scraps left over that you have a hard time tossing.  I either toss the scraps in the fryer (that's how I knew Danish dough was superior to all others, in the pastry shop I'd toss anything in the vat to see what deliciousness would come out) or if it's a longer piece of dough, I do this:

Left over long scrap of dough:  Twist it.

Roll it into a twisty bun.  Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar.  Bake until golden brown.