Pie and Pastry Bible (142 page)

EQUIPMENT

A large baking sheet or half-size sheet pan, lined with parchment
^*

Make the dough (see page 486).

FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD

In a food processor with the metal blade, pulse together the pecans, sugar, and flour until the pecans are finely ground. Add the almond paste, butter, and honey and pulse until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

MIXER METHOD

Finely grind the pecans. In a large mixer bowl, on low speed, mix the almond paste and sugar. Add the butter and continue mixing on low speed until incorporated. Add the honey, flour, and ground pecans and mix just until incorporated.

SHAPE THE ALLIGATOR

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to sit for 15 minutes. On a floured counter, roll the dough to a rectangle 12 inches by 9 to 10 inches. It will be ¼ inch thick. Slip it onto a cookie sheet, cover it lightly, and refrigerate it for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.

Return the dough to the floured counter, flour the top, and roll it to about 12 inches wide by 13 inches long. It will be about
inch thick. Brush off all the excess flour. Spread the almond/pecan filling evenly over the dough in a thin layer by placing dabs of it all over the dough, leaving a 1-inch plain border on both short ends, then covering it with plastic wrap and rolling it with a rolling pin. As you roll the dough, it will grow to about 16 inches in length. Remove the plastic wrap and brush the 1-inch borders with a little of the egg wash. Starting from a long side, fold the dough in thirds like a business letter. The length will shrink from 16 to about 14 inches and the width will be 4 inches. The pastry will be almost 1 inch high. Firmly press the open ends that were brushed with the egg wash to seal them.

Slip the alligator onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush with the egg wash and place the pecan halves, top sides up, lengthwise in 4 rows, about ½ inch apart, on top.

If you have a 2-inch-deep 18-inch sheet pan, invert it over the dough (see page 488). Alternatively, cover it lightly with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with nonstick vegetable spray and set the sheet pan aside in a warm spot. Allow it to rise for about 2 hours. The alligator should be about 1½ inches high and be very light to the touch.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the middle level before preheating.

Five minutes ahead of baking, place a pan with about 1 inch of boiling water in the lower part of oven. (To prevent a ring from forming if using a metal pan, add a
pinch of cream of tartar to the water.) Place the alligator in the oven, lower the temperature to 375°F., and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown (210°F.). Remove the baking sheet to a rack and cool for 20 to 30 minutes.

Drizzle the maple sugar glaze over the top of the alligator. Using a serrated or sharp knife, cut it into 1-inch-wide strips. The alligator is best eaten warm, while the outside is crisp and light and the center soft and tender, or within 3 hours of baking.

STORE

Room temperature, up to 2 days; frozen, up to 3 months. The baked alligator can be reheated in a preheated 300°F. oven for 5 minutes (10 minutes if frozen).

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

Pinch the ends well, or some of the filling will flow out before it sets.

It is best to cover the dough with the inverted 2-inch-high pan so that nothing touches the surface.

UNDERSTANDING

The Pecan Remonce filling has the same basic proportions as the standard Remonce (page 510), equal weights of almond paste, sweetener, and butter.

SUGAR GLAZE FOR DANISH (AND OTHER PASTRY)

T
his shiny but opaque glaze is the traditional decoration for many pastries.

MAKES: SCANT ¼ CUP
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
	VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
powdered sugar	½ cup (dip and sweep method)	2 ounces	58 grams
heavy cream	2 tablespoons	1 ounce	29 grams
dark rum or pure vanilla extract or maple flavoring	teaspoon	•	•

OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT

A reclosable pint- or quart-size freezer bag

In a small bowl, whisk or stir together the powdered sugar, most of the cream, and the rum or vanilla until smoothly incorporated. The mixture will thin on whisking. To use as a drizzle glaze, the glaze should run thickly when the whisk is lifted; to pipe raised lines, it should form soft peaks. If necessary, whisk in the remaining cream or additional powdered sugar.

Pipe or drizzle the glaze over the cooled pastry. (Empty the glaze into the reclosable bag, seal it, and cut a small piece from one of the corners to serve as a piping bag; or use a spoon to drizzle the glaze.)

NOTE

If desired, a small amount of egg white (about 1 teaspoon) can be whisked into the mixture to strengthen it for smoother piping. You will have to whisk the egg white lightly first to break it up in order to measure such a small amount.

REMONCE

(
Almond Cream Filling
)

T
his is the classic filling for Danish pastry. A very thin layer spread on the dough before filling and shaping it adds a lovely flavor and moisture to the dough without adding excess sweetness. The egg adds flavor and also sets the filling so that it doesn’t spread and leak. If it is spread in a thin layer, the remonce disappears into the dough before baking.

FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD

In a food processor with the metal blade, pulse together the almond paste and sugar until the almond paste is in fine particles. Add the butter and pulse 3 or 4 times until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the egg, vanilla, and flour and pulse just until incorporated. It will be a soft cream.

ELECTRIC MIXER METHOD

In a large mixer bowl, on low speed, mix the almond paste and sugar. Add the butter and continue mixing on low speed until incorporated. Add the egg, vanilla, and flour and mix just until incorporated.

STORE

Refrigerated, up to 1 week; frozen, up to 1 month.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

To prevent separation while mixing, the butter and eggs must be not be cold.

HONEY-STUNG CREAM CHEESE FILLING

L
ightly sweetened cream cheese filling is a perfect foil for Danish pastry. The filling has a slightly lemony flavor and the creaminess is especially pleasing against the backdrop of crisp, yeasty dough. It blends nicely with preserves such as sour cherry, orange marmalade, or lemon curd.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese and honey until smooth and creamy. Place in an airtight container.

STORE

Refrigerated, up to 5 days; frozen, up to 6 months.

APRICOT LEKVAR

T
his lilting apricot filling is thicker and more flavorful than strained preserves. It is especially useful for Danish and Un-Rugelach (page 138), as it does not leak out of the dough during baking.

For many years, H. Roth (Lekvar by the Barrel) and Paprikas Weiss supplied New Yorkers with incomparable Hungarian apricot lekvar, whose intensity came from both the quality of the apricots and the process of preserving them with the flavorful skins. Now, sadly, both have closed.