Eeeee! This recipe, this cherished family recipe that my husband has said for over 8 years of SFS that he previously did not want me to share, IS. HERE. It is my Christmas present to you all, friends. I give you my husband's go-to, show off, bring something different, simple yet elegant, almond kissed, flaky, buttery, just the right amount of sweetness, THE Danish Puff Pastry! Cream your butter first with your electric blender. Then slowly add the sugar. While you can just cream them all together, this will make it easier to keep the sugar in the bowl while the mixer is going. Confectioner's Sugar - The only added sweetness added to this pastry, but it's the exact amount that you need!

You're almost there! Let that choux cool a little (otherwise, it'll melt the butter in the shortcrust!) and then layer it onto the shortcrust and flatten. Bring the water and butter to a boil. Once all of the butter has melted, then it's time to add your flour and whisk until a dough is formed.

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Scoop out the choux evenly onto the shortcrust, one scoop at time alternating between the two. This way you can be sure you're evenly distributing it. Danish Puffs, or also just a "Danish," are typically layered laminated pastries that are often filled with different fruits or nuts, like a Danish Kringle. This pastry, however, is much more of a puff pastry, which does not use the traditional Danish pastry viennoiserietradition that requires yeast (think croissant). Instead, this Danish Puff Pastry uses a choux (pronounced "shoe") pastry dough - more on that below. Butter - Yes, more. This recipe is NOT, I repeat NOT one for the faint of butter heart. And again, we prefer to use a salted butter for this, to not have to add any additional salt. Use a cool butter. Take it out of the fridge to warm a little, but it shouldn't be room temp. You should be able to cut it with a knife into cubes.

So why is this called a Danish puff? No idea. My husband had no idea what the origin is as he is not Danish, all he remembers is that he has been eating this pastry since he was the age of our young kids. And really, aren't those memories some of the most important when it comes to a good recipe? Ingredients Needed Keep whisking VIGOROUSLY. Can you tell how important this step is now? Basically, think of how you whisk fast now, and take that up a notch. If the choux is whisked too slowly, then it will become clumpy, burned, and/or scrambled eggy dough. Cut butter in WELL. This is probably the most important tip. You want to make sure that the butter and flour are very well incorporated because otherwise, you'll have a crust that doesn't shape well and (even worse) when it's baked, it'll end up tasting floury, instead of like a crumbly butter crust. The Frosting is the sole source of the sweetness of the entire pastry. But truly, it's all you need. Now on to components of this layered Danish pastry: The Shortcrust and the Choux. Both of which use incredibly simple ingredients.All Purpose Flour - This is really the best. Gluten-free, a nut flour, or even a bread flour just doesn't produce the same results. Today I’m reviewing a product from the Christmas seasonal aisle at Costco the Karens Bakery Puff Pastries. Might not seem all that impressive at first glance, but then when you slice into this Danish Puff Pastry, that's where the magic is! See how that beautiful choux is puffed up in soft luscious layers? It's heaven. Butter - Lots and lots o' butta! While I know more baker purists say that unsalted butter is the best to bake with, but we like to make things as easy as possible (especially when it comes to baking), and so we use a salted butter because it means not having to add any salt.

Don't let the water boil over. Keep the heat for the water and butter at about medium, maybe a touch higher, but then you really need to keep an eagle eye on it. If the water boils over, then you need to start again, because you need all of that water! Your dough should shape nicely and feel well together and slightly moist. If it doesn't, and it's too crumbly to shape, then your dough is too dry. Before shaping, return it to the bowl and then add a tablespoon of water to bring up the moisture. Have everything you need ready, or mise en place, which is a French term for having it all ready. When you put your water and butter on to boil, have that flour and the eggs ready next to you. Once your dough is ready, split the dough in half and add to a parchment-lined baking sheet to shape them into flat 12 inch long, 3 inch wide strips. Shape right on the parchment paper, and to keep that parchment paper on your baking sheet without shaking, use a little dab of butter or a little spritz of cooking oil under each corner of your parchmemt paper. This will help keep it in place while you shape. See more about that here!Fresh Green Bean Casserole From Scratch - With all of the from scratch components, this is one of my absolute favorite holiday sides! The shortcrust is basically a super simple pie crust. Just two ingredients, butter, and flour cut together well before shaping. Whisk VIGOROUSLY when adding the eggs! And that 1st egg is the most crucial. You're adding it to the hot dough, and you don't want it to cook (think scrambled eggs), so to prevent that you need to whisk fast. Maraschino Cherries - A little pop of color and sweetness. Yes, yes, not a typical ingredient around here, but it's all part of the nostalgia when it comes to this recipe! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, friends! May you have a safe holiday full of delicious food and traditions (and food traditions!). Our Danish Puff Pastry is certainly one of ours that I hope our girls have just as many fond memories of it as my husband does. Other Holiday Favorites

This puff pastry is a dessert that is different than most things you'll find on a typical holiday dessert table, and I think that's why it has such a fond place in our hearts. Because at first glance, before it's cut, you really don't know what it is. But then, oh then when you take a slice and see that airy choux pastry, that buttery shortcrust, and then taste of that almond frosting with the crunch of the sliced almonds, you know you have just taken a bite of a dessert that was not only made with years of practice but also one that has been with so much love and full of memories. What is a Danish Puff?