Auntie Barbara's Yummy & Easy Danish Pastry.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces butter (115g)
• 1 cup flour (250g)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 4 ounces butter (115g)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup flour (250g)
• 1 teaspoon almond essence
• 3 eggs (whisked)
• walnuts or glace cherries, for decoration

Icing

• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla essence (or a little less extract)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1-2 tablespoon warm water, approximately

Directions

1. 1

   Take the first 3 ingredients only: 4 ounces butter, 1 cup flour, and 2 tablespoons water; rub the butter into the flour; add the water. You will have a soft and slightly sticky ball.

2. 2

   Spread this mixture out onto an unbuttered baking tray (cookie sheet) to an approximate 5 to 7 mm thickness.

3. 3

   This recipe makes one tray size pastry that you cut into slices afterwards, rather than individual pastries that I now understand Americans might be used to.

4. 4

   Take the second quantity of butter and water: 4 ounces butter, 1 cup water; put into a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil.

5. 5

   Take off the heat, mix in all the second quantity of flour (1 cup) all at once.

6. 6

   Stir until you have a smooth ball. I use a whisk for this and the following step as it goes much faster than with a wooden spoon.

7. 7

   Add the almond essence and all the eggs at once and stir until your mixture is a smooth glossy paste.

8. 8

   Spread the second mixture evenly over the first mixture.

9. 9

   Bake at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for approximately 45 minutes or until light golden brown and topping is a little bit crisp.

10. 10

    Cool.

11. 11

    Glaze with icing. Spread icing over Danish and sprinkle with nuts or other decoration etc. as preferred.