Relishments

Savoring life in the Berkshires

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • About
    • Start Here
    • Relishments Around the Web
  • Flexitarianism
    • Cookbooks
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Reviews
  • The Berkshires
    • Boothbay, Midcoast Maine and More
    • Adventures in Other Places
  • Technology
    • My Favorite Technology Tools
  • Contact
    • Sponsor

A “New” Christmas Tradition: Homemade Raspberry Danish

Published on December 26, 2013 By Emily. Updated on December 26, 2013

I’ve grown to really look forward to my husband’s family’s traditional Christmas breakfast: pierogies, kielbasa, scrambled eggs and Entemann’s Raspberry Danish Twist, which serves as a birthday cake for Jesus.  I don’t know when the tradition was started or why the Danish and not some other baked good came into play, but the kielbasa and pierogies harken back to their family roots.  I don’t worry about upholding the tradition at home most years because we enjoy it with his family when we celebrate the holiday with them.  However,  knowing my proclivity for making things instead of buying them, Brian suggested I try making a raspberry danish from scratch this Christmas.  Always up for a new challenge, I began keeping an eye out for recipes.  The first one that I stumbled upon used puff pastry, which is fine, but was a little more pre-made than I was hoping for.  So I turned to Google, where I quickly found this recipe: Iced Raspberry Danish Braid from Sally’s Baking Addiction.  I looked no further; it appeared to be exactly what I was looking for.

I made this recipe last Sunday afternoon, to be eaten on Monday morning when Brian and I celebrated Christmas as a couple before visiting his parents for the actual holiday (where there would be pierogies, kielbasa and eggs, of course).  Shockingly, I actually read the recipe before I started and knew it would take a while to put together.  I knew it was going to be my project for the afternoon and I didn’t make plans to go anywhere but my kitchen.  That said, it wasn’t difficult; most of the time needed for the recipe is just letting the dough rest in the fridge or on the counter.  Sally’s instructions and photos were incredibly clear and I had no trouble following them.  Early on I was pretty concerned with the size of the butter chunks in the dough, but they did match the recipe’s photos so I went with it.

rolled out danish dough

After letting the assembled dough sit in the fridge for four hours, then rolling it out and folding it three times, then putting it back in the fridge for another half hour, it was time to fill and assemble the pastry.  The recipe made enough dough and filling for 2 danishes, something I wish I’d realized more clearly when I started.  The extra dough and filling went into the freezer for future use.  The fruit filling was incredibly simple to make (I used frozen raspberries) and the video that Sally linked to helped a lot in explaining what I was doing with the braiding.  As impressive as it looked in the final product, the braiding was not difficult.  I followed Sally’s suggestion and completed the final roll out of the dough on my Silpat baking sheet.  After accidentally reading the instructions as requiring a 12 x 16” rectangle, I reworked it into the 12 x 6” required, spread the filling down the middle, cut the angled slices and folded them over on top of the filling.

danish filling

braided danish

As you can see, my danish wasn’t completely even for the entire length, but this didn’t affect the taste at all and it sort of evened out during baking.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the filling did not leak out of the braid while it baked; I’d cooked it on a rimmed cookie sheet just in case.  Most of the filling that looks like it’s leaking out of the braid was actually just spread by my brush when I was applying the egg wash.  Even though we weren’t planning to eat it until the next day, I decided to bake the pastry on Sunday and leave it at room temperature for the next day so I wouldn’t have to worry about it in the morning.  I’m sure it would’ve been slightly better if eaten immediately after baking, but it held up very well.  Despite the amount of filling, the pastry did not get soggy.

baked danish

sliced danish

Despite the required planning ahead, I think this recipe was definitely worth making.  It looks like an accomplishment and it tastes great;  I love how you can see all the layers of pastry dough.  With the exception of the raspberries, I already had all of the ingredients required for this recipe on hand.  I think that if I practice the slicing and braiding of the dough, the danish’s appearance will continue to improve.  In the end, I didn’t end up making the glaze, mostly because we’d eaten half of the danish before remembering that there was even glaze to be made.  When I make the second one in a few weeks I’ll attempt the glaze.  The filling is more tart than the store bought one, but the powdered sugar glaze would probably help offset this.  It should also be noted that the danish didn’t last very long in our house; Brian and I ate the entire thing before mid-afternoon, one slice at a time.  (This may be why we try to limit sweets in the house, it’s just too tempting.)  If I was making this for a bigger group, I’d definitely make both danishes – or more.  I’m also pondering the idea of adding a little bit of cream cheese along with the raspberry filling, but that may need to be left for a third iteration entirely.  At any rate, I’m really glad I attempted going homemade with our Christmas danish this year; I think I’ll be doing it again for future holidays.

Related Posts

Relishments Bakes Results: Lavender-Earl Grey Flou...
Herbed Olive Oil Bread
2 Years and Counting
Merry Christmas from Relishments!
Did you enjoy this post? Share it!

Filed Under: recipe review Tagged With: baking, Christmas, family, holiday, Man

« Celebration Week: Caitlin Boyle Book Giveaway
Celebration Week: Bama+Ry Necklace Giveaway »

Comments

  1. Kelly says

    December 26, 2013 at 9:14 pm

    This danish looks DELICIOUS!! I might have to try that for the next holiday gathering.

  2. Samantha V. says

    January 9, 2014 at 12:05 pm

    All I can say is “Yummy” …my kids were looking over my shoulder and picked out your recipe to try over the weekend. We finally got to try it and it was so tasty, they wouldn’t even wait for it to cool enough before they were attacking it. It was lots of fun having the kids help to make it and the “waiting” actually turned out to be helpful for me to clean while the kids did other things for a bit…they can make a huge mess when cooking. Only sad thing is that it disappeared pretty fast lol
    Thank you again for posting.

    • Emily says

      January 12, 2014 at 9:00 am

      I’m so glad it worked out well for you! I agree…the Danish disappears way too fast. I’m definitely making both of them when I revisit this recipe.

Trackbacks

  1. » Recommended Recipe: 30 Minute Homemade Soft Pretzels says:
    February 21, 2014 at 6:14 pm

    […] that time I made an awesome raspberry danish for Christmas breakfast?  I have a confession to make: I didn’t revisit the recipe’s […]

Welcome!

Welcome to Relishments! Follow along with my adventures in flexitarian eating and cooking in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts.

The Berkshires
Recipe Index
CSA Menu Plan
First Time?
 

Support Relishments on Patreon

Just so you know…

I’m just a girl who loves to cook and eat. This site is not a source for nutritional information.

Relishments is affiliated with various sponsors. Some product links on this site are affiliates; I may get portion of the sale. All opinions on this site are honest, regardless of revenue opportunities. Find out more about my policies here

Relishments is affiliated with…

View my food journey on Zomato!

  
Ahalogy Badge

relishments

Emily
It was a cold and cloudy morning, but we made it t It was a cold and cloudy morning, but we made it to our second annual strawberry picking at @mountainviewfarm413, which included E's first tractor ride (she was very excited). We picked about 9 pounds of strawberries and I'm looking forward to eating them! 🍓
.
.
.
#igers413_food #strawberries #LocallyGrowjln #PickYourOwn #LanesboroughMA
#igers413 #BerkshireFoodies #InTheBerkshires #EatLocal #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires

#NorthAdams #NAmazing
Scenes from this morning in Adams, featuring @shir Scenes from this morning in Adams, featuring @shiredonuts, Poseidon Coffee, the Ashwillticook Rail Trail, St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Adams Free Library and beautiful flowers.
.
.
.
#AdamsMA #igers413_food
#igers413 #BerkshireFoodies #InTheBerkshires #EatLocal #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires
I don't have clear words to express my feelings ab I don't have clear words to express my feelings about the state of the world lately. As a teacher and a mother, it has been extra difficult this week to be fully present in my roles without thinking about innocent lives that should have had longer on Earth. How what has happened in each of the many mass shootings this year can happen anywhere. If you are feeling sad and frustrated too, you are not alone.

I don't have answers, but I'm trying to take care of myself and my biological and school families. I'm saying "I love you" a lot to my children and my students. I'm closely following and sharing the work of @everytown while contacting my state and federal representatives and the president. I'm going for walks and getting fresh air and trying not to overload on news. I'm sharing good resources in my stories as I see them.
UPDATE: the giveaway is now CLOSED. Congrats @aloh UPDATE: the giveaway is now CLOSED. Congrats @alohr3!

 @thelazygenius' second book, The Lazy Genius Kitchen, is finally here and I'm so excited! I don't purchase many books, but I pre-ordered this last July because I knew it would be right up my alley and then I pre-ordered a second copy because I knew that I'd want to give one away.

Author Kendra Adachi has been one of my favorite voices in recent years. Her principles (shared through her first book, The Lazy Genius Podcast and her Instagram) have helped me focus my priorities and give myself more grace. 

This book is NOT a cookbook (it has just 2 recipes), it is a kitchen guide - to help you "have what you need, use what you have, and enjoy it like never before". It is beautiful (full color!) and thoughtful.

I'm very excited to send this book to one of you.

TO ENTER: Leave a comment below with one of your greatest kitchen struggles. 
I'll draw a winner at 8 pm on Friday, May 6.
This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram or The Lazy Genius, Kendra Adachi.
.
.
.
#LazyGenius #KendraAdachi #NameWhatMatters #TheLazyGeniusKitchen #TheLazyGeniusWay #BookGiveaway
This morning we took advantage of @massmoca's Berk This morning we took advantage of @massmoca's Berkshire Teacher and Social Worker Appreciation Day free admission. After enjoying the student Art Invitational exhibit, the 4 of us took in several of the other galleries. Mass MoCA always impresses and it was delightful to be able to be out in the world with my kids.
.
.
.
#igers413 #InTheBerkshires #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires #NorthAdams #NAmazing #MassMoCA #ArtMuseum
Today I finally found my way into @plantconnector, Today I finally found my way into @plantconnector, in its new location on Main Street in North Adams. The shop is incredible - the displays are great and the plants are delightful. There's a refill station with bottles and jars for soaps, detergents and other products, a terrarium bar, and an abundance of sustainable and beautiful products. I'm now in the process of pondering who I can purchase Plant Connector gifts for in the coming months.
.
.
.
#igers413 #InTheBerkshires #ShopLocal #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires #NorthAdams #NAmazing #PlantConnector
This is your periodic reminder that @berkshiremuse This is your periodic reminder that @berkshiremuseum is a great visit for all ages. The current Voyage to the Deep exhibit, which involves an interactive Nautilus submarine that my 5 year old spent literally hours in.  We also thoroughly enjoyed the Aquarium and Berkshire Backyard. Highly recommended - we'll be back soon!
.
.
.
#igers413 #InTheBerkshires #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires #BerkshireMuseum #PittsfieldMA
My January and early February menu plans for my @m My January and early February menu plans for my @mightyfoodfarm vegetables are finally up on the blog. See how we're making use of these beautiful items, as well as the items from the other pick up we made in the past month. 
Link in profile.
.
.
.
#MightyFoodFarm #EatLocal #EatSeasonal #VermontGrown #CSApickup #CSAshare  #KnowYourFarmerKnowYourFood #MenuPlanning #MealPlanning #igers413 #igers413_food #BerkshireFoodies
One of my favorite things to do is bake from scrat One of my favorite things to do is bake from scratch.
But, in the interest of full transparency, this pie was made with Pillsbury pie crusts and a $5 bag of Walmart Granny Smiths. I used the recipe on the pie crust box.
I am very excited to eat it.
.
.
.
#RelishmentsBakes #BakingFromScratch #baking #igers413_food #semihomemade #pie #ApplePie
#igers413 #BerkshireFoodies
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · Foodie Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in