Features
Culinary Society Apple Cook Off
By Michael Dyer '16
October 8, 2015
This past Tuesday, the Culinary Society hosted their first annual Apple Cook Off. People were allowed to bake or cook one dish, either individually or with a group, that included apples as the main dish. Michael Dyer ’16 won over the judges’ hearts and stomachs with his apple danishes, adapted from The King Arthur Flour danish pastry recipe. The original recipe can be found at http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/danish-pastry-recipe.
Apple Danishes by Michael Dyer
Ingredients
Dough
· 2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
· 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
· 1/3 cup granulated sugar
· 4 tsp instant yeast
· 2 1/2 tsp salt; if you use salted butter, reduce this to 1 1/2 tsp salt
· 1 tsp vanilla
· 1 cup cold milk
· 1/3 to 1/2 cup lukewarm water*
· 2 large eggs
*Use the greater amount in winter, or in a dry climate; the lesser amount in summer, or when it’s humid out.
Egg wash
· 1 large egg white beaten lightly with 1 tbsp cold water
Amaretto glaze
· 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar or glazing sugar
· 2 to 2 1/2 tbsp amaretto (you can substitute water), enough to make a “drizzlable” glaze
· Pinch of salt
Apple filling
· 6 apples (any variety)
· 1 1/4 cups sugar
· 1/2 cup amaretto (you can substitute water)
· 4 tsp cinnamon
Remonce
· 7 oz marzipan
· 3 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions
1) Begin by cutting 1/4” butter off the end of each of the 4 sticks in the pound; you’ll have about 2 tablespoons butter. Set them (and the remaining butter) aside. You’ll be using the 2 tablespoons of butter immediately, but won’t need the remaining butter until after you’ve made the dough.
2) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the 2 tablespoons cold butter, working it in with your fingers until no large lumps remain. This step coats the flour a bit with fat, making the pastry a tiny bit more tender.
3) Add the vanilla, milk, water and eggs. Mix and knead to make a cohesive, but quite sticky dough. This is easily done in a bread machine set on the dough cycle or in a mixer. If you use a mixer, the dough won’t completely clean the bowl; it’ll probably leave a narrow ring around the side, and stick at the bottom.
4) Scrape the dough into a ball, and transfer it to a floured work surface. Cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the butter.
5) Cut each stick of butter in half lengthwise, to make 8 long rectangles. On a piece of floured parchment or plastic wrap, line up 4 of the butter pieces side by side, to form a rectangle. Sprinkle lightly with flour, and cover with another piece of parchment or plastic wrap.
6) Gently pound and roll the butter until it’s about 6” x 9”. The pieces may or may not meld together. If they do, great, they’ll be easier to work with. If not, though, that’s OK; don’t stress about it.
7) Repeat with the remaining 4 pieces of butter. You should now have two butter rectangles, about 6” x 9” each.
8) Roll the dough into a rectangle about 12” wide and 24” long. Don’t worry about being ultra-precise; this is just a guide, though you should try to get fairly close.
9) Place one of the butter pieces onto the center third of the dough. Fold one side over the butter to cover it. Place the other butter piece atop the folded-over dough, and fold the remaining dough up over it. You now have a rectangular “packet” of dough-enclosed butter. Pinch the open ends and side closed as best you can.
10) Turn the dough 90 degrees, so a 12” side is closest to you. Roll the dough into a 10” x 24” rectangle (approximately). Fold each side into the center, then fold one side over the other to make a rectangular packet about 6” x 10”.
11) Dust the surface of the dough with flour, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
12) Remove the dough from the fridge, and again roll it into a rectangle about 10” x 24”. Fold it into a packet as you did in step 10; it’ll be about 7” x 12”. Roll one final time, fold into a packet, and flour the dough lightly. Wrap loosely (but completely) in plastic, and chill it for 2 hours, or up to 16 hours; longer referigeration is often better, as it gives the dough a chance to relax and rise.
14) Make the apple filling by peeling, coring and finely cubing six medium apples. Mix in ½ cup amaretto, 4 tsp cinnamon and 1 ¼ cups sugar. Cook on medium in a saucepan for 10 minutes then simmer for 10. Set aside to cool.
15) When you’re ready to make pastries, remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap it. Make remonce by mixing equal parts marzipan and unsalted butter, and mixing until even.
16) Roll the dough out into a rectangle about 12” by 26”. With a sharp knife, cut into 3”x3” squares. Place a half of a teaspoon of remonce into the center of each square. Fold the four corners of the square into the remonce and press down to secure.
17) Repeat for each square.
18) Cover the Danish lightly with greased plastic wrap, and let them proof in a slightly warm oven for 15 min; they’ll become slightly puffy. Towards the end of the rising time (they can finish proofing on the counter), preheat the oven to 375°F.
19) Brush the exposed edges of pastry with the egg wash topping; this will create a satiny, golden crust.
20) Use your fingers to press the centers of the dough squares back down. Spoon a slightly heaping measuring teaspoon of apple filling into the well of each round. Garnish around the center of each pastry with sliced almonds
21) Bake the pastries for 15 to 18 minutes, until they’re golden brown, making sure to rotate and move the pans around in the oven every five minutes to ensure even heating. Remove them from the oven, and transfer to a rack. Glaze and serve immediately (tastes better) or wait until they cool, then glaze (looks better).
22) To make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and salt with enough amaretto or water to make a “drizzlable” glaze.
23) Drizzle the glaze atop the pastries.
24) Yum