Bear Claw Pastry

4.67 from 3 reviews

These scrumptious Bear Claws are made with real Danish pastry dough and a luscious almond filling. You can let the pastries rise in the refrigerator overnight and bake first thing in the morning.

Prep Time1

Bake Time2

Baking Time15

Total Time3 15

Servings:12 danish

Ingredients

Almond Filling

3 oz almond paste
2 oz granulated sugar (¼ cup)
1 oz unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon table salt
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Assembly

1 recipe Danish Dough (see note)
OR
1 recipe Sourdough Danish
1 egg (for egg wash)
3 oz sliced almonds (1 cup)
2-3 teaspoons milk
1-2 drops almond extract (optional)
2 oz confectioner sugar (1/2 cup)

Instructions

Make the filling

Using a beater attachment on your mixer, mix 3 oz almond paste with 2 oz granulated sugar until the almond paste is broken up in the sugar. Add 1 oz unsalted butter and cream until well-combined. Add 1 large egg white, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon table salt and 2 tablespoons all purpose flour. Mix to combine. Refrigerate the filling until ready to assemble. The filling can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, or frozen for up to a month.

Assembly

Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper. Fill a piping bag fitted with a 1/2" plain tip (or you can snip the tip off a disposable piping bag) with the almond filling. Whisk 1 egg with a tablespoon of water for egg wash.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough to a 15"x16” rectangle.
Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the dough into 3rds along the 15" side and 4ths along the 16" side. You should have twelve 5"x4" rectangles. Lightly brush all the squares with egg wash. Starting 1/2" from the edge of a rectangle pipe a 1/2" thick line of filling along the short side of the rectangle about 1/3 from the top. Stop a 1/2" from the other edge. Repeat with all the rectangles. (see photos)
Wrap the top side of the dough over the filling and set it just over the other side of the filling. Fold the bottom side of the dough up to meet the seam. Press the the seam and both ends to seal in the filling. You'll end up with a tube of filling wrapped in dough with a flap of unfilled pastry (see photos).
Place a pastry on the prepared baking sheet with the seam side down. Use the tip of a paring knife to cut 1/2" slits in the unfilled flap of dough (these are the "claws"). Bend the two ends of pastry back to form an arc and to open up the "claws" of the pastry. Repeat with all the pieces of dough. You should fit 6 pastries per sheet pan.
Cover the pans with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, or refrigerate overnight. (see note) The dough should look lighter and a little puffy but may not double in size. If you refrigerate the pastries allow them to come to room temperature before baking. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375 °F.
Brush each pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake in the middle rack of the oven until the pastry is well-puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Rotate the trays halfway through baking to promote even browning.
While the bear claws are baking, whisk 2-3 teaspoons milk and 1-2 drops almond extract into 2 oz confectioner sugar. The glaze should have the texture of pancake batter. Add more sugar if it’s too loose or more milk if it’s too thick.
Remove the bear claws from the oven and let them cool on the pans for 10 minutes. (See note) Use a fork or whisk to drizzle the glaze over the warm pastries.
Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Notes

I highly recommend using Danish dough to make the most authentic and delicious bear claws. But you can make them using frozen puff pastry sheets if you don't want to make your own dough. Puff pastry is not a yeasted dough so the results will be different.

The rise time will vary based on the temperature of the dough and whether you use yeasted Danish dough or sourdough Danish.

If any filling leaks out during baking simply lift the pastries off the pan and leave the leaked filling behind.

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