Pie and Pastry Bible (141 page)

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

With lightly greased fingers, gently make about a 2-inch depression in the center of each twist. (Figure 7) Pipe or spoon about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese filling or pastry cream around the outer edge of the depression and spoon about 1 tablespoon of the jam into the center. (Figures 8 and 9)

Five minutes ahead of baking, place a pan with about 1 inch of boiling water in the lower part of the oven. (To prevent a ring from forming if using a metal pan, add a pinch of cream of tartar to the water.) Place the twists in the oven, lower the temperature to 375°F., and bake for 18 to 20 minutes (after 10 minutes, turn and reverse the positions of the two sheets) or until golden brown (200° to 210°F.).

While the twists are baking, prepare the transparent sugar glaze: In a small bowl, place the powdered sugar. Whisk in the water and lemon juice. The glaze should be the consistency of egg white. If necessary, add a bit more sugar or water.

When the twists are done, remove the baking sheets to racks and brush immediately the twists with the glaze. (Figure 10) Cool for 20 to 30 minutes.

Pipe or use a spoon to drizzle lines of the second sugar glaze over the top. (Figure 11) These are best eaten warm, while the outside is crisp and light and the center soft and tender, or within 3 hours of baking.

VARIATION

MINI TWISTS
This is a great quick, easy, and delicious use for scraps of dough. Place the dough scraps on top of each other and roll them into a 4-inch-wide strip. If the dough becomes sticky, refrigerate it until firm. Cut about 6-inch-long by ½inch-wide strips and coil them as above. After they have risen, make depressions in the centers and fill each one with a dab of cream cheese and/or preserves. They will be 2½ inches in diameter and grow to 3 inches after baking. Bake them for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

STORE

Room temperature, up to 2 days; frozen, up to 3 months. The baked Danish can be reheated in a preheated 300°F. oven for 5 minutes (8 minutes if frozen).

THE ALLIGATOR

M
y friend David Shamah has been telling me about this unique Danish pastry for years. In fact, he brings it up every time he goes to Los Angeles, because it is practically an institution there. Baker Viktor Benes created “The Alligator,” so named because the large rectangle of filled pastry is topped with rows of pecans on top that resemble the roughly grooved hide of an alligator. (Or perhaps it’s because of what is written on the package: “One Bite and We Gotcha”)

My curiosity was so aroused I asked Gelson’s Bakery, where Benes worked, to FedEx me one. I created this version based on it. This is a fun shape for Danish pastry, but it is also exceptionally mouthwatering because the variation on the classic remonce filling contains pecans and a touch of honey, which blend mellifluously with the rich buttery dough.

OVEN TEMPERATURE: 400°F., THEN 375°F. • BAKING TIME: 18 TO 20 MINUTES MAKES: 15- BY 6½- BY 1-INCH-HIGH PASTRY; SERVES: ABOUT 15
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
	VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
½ recipe Danish Pastry Dough (page 486)		13.3 ounces	381 grams
cup pecan halves	full cup, ground	approx. 1 ounce	33 grams
sugar	2½ tablespoons	1 ounce	31 grams
all-purpose flour	1 tablespoon	0.3 ounce	9 grams
Almond/Pecan Remonce Filling almond paste, room temperature	(¾ cup) approx. 3 tablespoons	(7 ounces) 1.75 ounces	(200 grams) 50 grams
unsalted butter, softened	3½ tablespoons	1.75 ounces	50 grams
honey	1 tablespoon	0.75 ounce	21 grams
egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of water	approx. 3 tablespoons	2.7 ounces	79 grams
40 pecan halves	cup	2.3 ounces	66 grams
½ recipe Sugar Glaze (page 509), made with maple flavoring	•	•	•