Danish Pastry

2 sticks of butter
¾ cup sugar
2 cups warm milk
2 pkgs. yeast (4 ½ tsp.)
½ cup warm water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp. salt
6 cups flour (approx)
Cream filling
Almond filling
Frosting
Sliced almonds
Maraschino cherries

Place butter and ¾ cup sugar in large bowl. Pour heated milk over it. Let stand. In another bowl, mix yeast with warm water and 1 Tbsp. sugar. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes.

Combine sugar mixture, yeast mixture & egg. Add salt and flour. Beat together with a spoon (no kneading). Dough should be soft and sticky (may need to add more flour). Cover with a cloth and let raise for 1 ½ hours.

Using greased hands spread dough onto greased cookie sheet (almost to the edges). Spread cream filling down the middle (lengthwise) and then top with dabs of almond filling. On the sides of the filling make slits about 1 inch apart. Pull these up and braid over the filling, overlapping. Let raise 30 minutes. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until lightly brown. Dribble frosting over pastry while warm. Sprinkle with sliced almonds and maraschino cherries.

Danish Pastry Cream Filling

1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp. flour
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat milk; beat egg yolk with sugar and salt; add flour and mix. When milk boils, temper the egg yolk before adding to the milk by stirring a bit of the milk into it. Heat and stir until thickened; add vanilla.

Danish Pastry Almond Filling:

1 stick butter softened
1/3 cup rolled oats
¼ cup sugar
2 tsp. almond extract

Mix all ingredients together.