Bear Claws are a sweet pastry made with Danish dough, filled with a walnut-date mixture, and glazed with sugar. They are baked until golden and optionally topped with sliced almonds.
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (265g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (25g) sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, softened
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Sub-recipe steps
Place on a work surface: 2 sticks (8 oz or 225g) cold unsalted butter
Measure: 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Sprinkle the butter with a little of the flour and begin to beat it with a rolling pin. Scrape the butter from the work surface and the rolling pin as needed and fold it over itself into a heap. Continue to work the butter until it is a smooth and malleable mass. Knead the rest of the flour into the butter with your hands, working quickly to keep the butter cold. Place the butter on a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into an 8 × 5 ½-inch rectangle. Wrap and refrigerate the butter while you make the dough.
Whisk together in a small bowl and let stand until the yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes: ½ cup (120g) warm (105° to 115°F) whole milk; 1 envelope (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast; 1 tablespoon (10g) sugar
Mix together in a large bowl: 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (265g) all-purpose flour; 2 tablespoons (25g) sugar; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, softened
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the yeast mixture into it. Mix lightly with a fork to form a thin batter in the well. Beat together and add to the well: 1 large egg; 1 large egg yolk
Then mix with a fork or your fingers to make a dough. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead for a few seconds, until smooth. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour. Roll out into a 14 × 8-inch rectangle, sprinkling additional flour underneath it as needed to prevent sticking. Position the dough so that one of the short sides is facing you. Cover the upper two-thirds of the dough with the rectangle of butter, leaving a 1-inch border of dough on the sides and at the top. Fold the bottom third of the dough over the butter. Fold the top third of the dough, with the butter on it, down over the first third, as if you were folding a business letter. Press the edges of the dough together on all 3 open sides to seal in the butter. Rotate the dough so that the folded edge is on the left and the sealed edge is on the right.
Sprinkle the dough lightly with flour and press it gently with the rolling pin to flatten it slightly. Keeping the short side of the rectangle facing you, roll into a 16 × 8-inch rectangle. Fold the bottom third up and the top third down again. (This rolling and folding is called a single turn.) Rotate the dough so that the folded edge is on the left and the open edge is on the right (like a book about to be opened). Give the dough one more single turn, rolling it into a 16 × 8-inch rectangle and folding it in thirds. Sprinkle the work surface lightly with flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking. If at any time the butter gets soft, refrigerate the dough for 10 to 15 minutes. Mark the dough with 2 finger imprints, to remind yourself that you have given the dough 2 turns. Wrap the dough loosely in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Give the dough 2 more single turns, always making sure that the folded edge is on the left and the open edge is on the right before beginning the next roll. Make 4 imprints, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Give the dough a final single turn, wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. (At this point, the dough can be frozen or refrigerated overnight. Before freezing, wrap in plastic, then foil, then airtight in a zip-top bag; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.)
For classic square danishes, roll the dough into an 18 × 9-inch rectangle and cut into eighteen 3-inch squares. Lightly brush the squares with: 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Bring each corner into the center, pressing them into the middle so they stick. Place a scant tablespoon of any of the following in the center of each square: 2 cups any coffee cake filling, filling for Sweet Cheese Blintzes, Frangipane, or jam
Place the danishes 2 to 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Let rise until puffy, 30 to 60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.
For pinwheels, see the illustration, below. Roll the dough out into an 18 × 9-inch rectangle. Cut into eighteen 3-inch squares. Lightly brush the squares with egg, as above, and make a 1 ½-inch slit from each corner toward the center. Starting at the bottom left, fold one corner of each triangle to the center and press it down, forming a pinwheel. Place a scant tablespoon of any filling listed above in the center, and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Place the pinwheels 2 to 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Let rise until puffy, 30 to 60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.
For spirals, divide the dough in half, and roll each half into a 17 × 12-inch rectangle. Spread a thin layer of filling over each rectangle of dough, leaving a ¼-inch border on all sides. Roll the dough into a log, starting on one long side. Place the log seam side down on a buttered baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes. Place each log on a cutting board and trim the ends by ½ inch. Cut each log into sixteen 1-inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices 2 to 3 inches apart on the baking sheet. Let rise until puffy, 30 to 60 minutes. Brush the pastries with beaten egg and bake at 375°F until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
(Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, ½ orange, or 1 lime)
2 tablespoons lemon, orange, or lime juice
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons liqueur
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Sub-recipe steps
Beat together in a medium bowl until smooth: 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted; 2 tablespoons milk; ¾ teaspoon vanilla
About ½ cup; enough to lightly glaze four 8-inch square cakes
Beat together in a medium bowl until smooth: 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar, sifted; (Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, ½ orange, or 1 lime); 2 tablespoons lemon, orange, or lime juice; ½ teaspoon vanilla
About ⅔ cup
Beat together in a medium bowl until smooth: 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted; 3 tablespoons liqueur; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
(Sliced almonds)
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
1 ½ recipe Danish Pastry Dough
6 tablespoons butter, melted
½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
¼ cup chopped dates
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (Quick Translucent Sugar Glaze I or II)
(Sliced almonds)
Let's Cook
Step 1.
Prepare: ½ recipe Danish Pastry Dough
Step 2.
Cut the dough into 3 pieces. Roll each into an 18 × 9-inch rectangle. Brush them with: 6 tablespoons butter, melted
Step 3.
Mix together in a small bowl: ½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted; ¼ cup chopped dates; 2 tablespoons sugar; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Step 4.
Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the rolled-out dough. Fold each rectangle of dough lengthwise into thirds, pinching the edges together to hold in the filling. Cut each piece in half crosswise. Place them seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Make 3 slashes in the folded side of each, as shown below, to make the “claws.” Brush with: 3 tablespoons butter, melted
Step 5.
Cover and let rise until puffy, about 45 minutes.
Step 6.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Step 7.
Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. If desired, drizzle with: (Quick Translucent Sugar Glaze I or II)
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