Mini Almond Danish Puffs – A Delicious and Festive Brunch Treat!
During the holidays, this melt-in-your-mouth Almond Danish Puff was always staple at my house. Whether a quick Christmas morning nosh, while the kids opened their presents, or as an Easter brunch treat – it is such a happy and festive food memory.
As we got older, my mom would often come to my house with a couple of these beauties in tow. The Danish Puffs would be wrapped lovingly in aluminum foil with a protective toothpick tower, so none of the crowning vanilla almond frosting would go to waste.
In addition to being absolutely delicious and super easy to pull together, one of my favorite parts of this recipe is that it makes TWO large puffs. You can bring one to your friend’s brunch, and keep the other one for yourself to enjoy at home with a bonus cup of coffee! 😉
Its layers are pretty complex for how quickly it is to assemble. It has a crusty buttery exterior and inside, thanks to the addition of eggs and almond extract, is creamy and rich but melds almost seamlessly into the dough.
The crowning glory is the silky vanilla/almond frosting. Together, the components come together to create a celebration of contrasting textures that melt in your mouth and always impress.
One of my favorite things to do is to put a modern twist on family recipes. I started playing with the shapes of the dough for this recipe, beyond the classic two large danishes. Recently, I created a mini “pop tarts” version of this recipe for an almond-loving friend’s birthday. They were so whimsical and portable – I wanted to share how easy it is to create these individual treats.
Supplies
- Food Processor
- Parchment Paper
- Medium Saucepan
- Whisk
- Permanent Marker
- Ruler
- Butter Knife/ Angled Metal Spatula
Ingredients
Assembly
See detailed prep instructions on the recipe card below. Pictured below are assembly directions for the Pop Tarts once dough and filling are prepared.
Almond Danish Puff Pop Tarts
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 Tarts 1x
Description
These decadent buttery, flaky, creamy Almond Danish Puffs taste complicated but couldn’t be simpler to create. One recipe makes two large puffs or eight individual “pop tarts.”
Ingredients
PASTRY DOUGH
- 1/2 cup unsalted cold butter cut into TBSP size pieces
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 TBSP water
ALMOND FILLING
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
VANILLA ALMOND FROSTING
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 TBSP room temperature unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2 TBSP milk
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
PREPARE PASTRY DOUGH:
- Using a food processor cut butter into flour. Add water and pulse just until dough comes together and forms a ball. Remove from food processor. Set dough aside in a bowl covered in plastic wrap until ready to use.
PREPARING FILLING:
- Crack three eggs and break up the yolks with a fork in a ramekin and set aside.
- Bring 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of butter to a boil in medium saucepan.
- Remove from heat. Add almond extract and add in flour, stirring with a whisk so there are no lumps.
- When dough looks smooth, add 1/3 of the egg mix and whisk. Add remaining two eggs and continue to whisk until incorporated. Filling will look glossy.
ASSEMBLING TO BAKE
- Line two baking tray with parchment paper.
- Using a black permanent marker and a ruler, create four rectangles on each paper (4.5 x 2.5 “). Turn the paper over so you can see the outline of the shape.
- Divide the pastry dough among all 8 rectangles. Using your thumb, press the pastry dough into the shape of the rectangles.
- Divide the almond filling (about 2.5 TBSP each) among the 8 pastry rectangles. Using a butter knife or angled metal spatula, spread the filling to the edges of each rectangle.
- Place baking sheets in the oven for about 35-40 minutes until they have a light brown color and the filling it dry to the touch.
VANILLA ALMOND FROSTING
- While the puffs are baking, place softened butter in a bowl of a standing mixer. Mix on high speed for about 2 minutes.
- Add powdered sugar and mix for another minute.
- Add milk, vanilla and almond extracts and mix on high speed for another minute until smooth and creamy.
- Once the danish puffs are out of the oven, let them cool for about 5-8 minutes. Frost them while still warm.
- Add any desired toppings before the frosting sets – toasted coconut and sliced or slivered almonds, sprinkles etc.
Notes
*If you would like to make two large puffs, increase the bake time to about 55-60 minutes, checking on doneness at about 50 minutes.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 40
Matriarch Muse
My mother, Santina Palmeri Lonergan, is my forever muse in areas far beyond her kitchen. She was a history teacher for 35 years, an avid volunteer in the community and a Jeopardy champion. She loved to travel, shop, laugh, and above all, spend time with her family and friends.
Her cooking style was eclectic and she loved swapping recipes with family and friends. Unlike her own mother, she had a fierce sweet tooth and loved to bake. When I was a kid, playdates at our house always involved baking – from homemade fortune cookies, to popcorn balls, to chocolate dipped pretzels and cupcakes with thick pink frosting. While I miss cooking beside her at the holidays, it is my heart’s delight to share some of her favorite recipes.
