Bear Claws

Cindy Mushet says there are two types of people, those who love cheese Danish and those who prefer bear claws. After making this recipe I am proud to say I fall into camp #2. Bear claws are decadent pastries made of rich Danish dough, filled with a sweet almond paste, topped with more almonds, and baked until golden brown. To Ryan's dismay, prior to baking these, I had never tried a bear claw (my mom was a dietitian--what can I say?) and I had to google what they were supposed to look like. After rolling out the Danish dough, I cut twelve 4"x4" squares and topped each with a line of the almond filling I had made (a deliciously fragrant mixture of almond paste, sugar, butter, vanilla, and egg). Next, I folded over the dough to create a mini package, and then I sliced four slits to create the "claws". After gently arching them into half moons, I left the pastries to proof for an hour. I topped each bear claw with an egg wash and sliced almonds then into the oven they went for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. After the bear claws had cooled, I drizzled them with powdered sugar icing to complete the look. The bear claws were very rich and sweet, but just right for breakfast with a hot cup of coffee. I really like these and I'm glad I tackled them at home. Who knew claws could taste so good?

Coming soon: Braided Danish Coffee Cake