Yuletide Danish Pastry

Admittedly, there is a decent amount of work involved here. The up-side is that this soooooo good and you get to eat one pastry and still have three to give away. Or eat them all - I won't tell. Cook time includes rising and is also a guess.

• Ready In: 4 hrs
• Yields: 4 pastries

Ingredients

• PASTRY

• 1  cup  softened butter
• 2  cups  lukewarm milk
• 2  tablespoons  yeast
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 1⁄2 cup warm water
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 2  eggs
• 8  cups flour

• CREAM FILLING

• 1  cup milk
• 1  egg yolk
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄3 cup sugar
• 2  tablespoons flour

• ALMOND FILLING

• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup oats
• 2  teaspoons  almond extract

• STREUSEL TOPPING

• 1⁄2 cup flour
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup  cold butter

• ALMOND ICING

• 1  cup powdered sugar
• 2 -3  tablespoons milk or 2 -3  tablespoons  cream
• 1  teaspoon  almond extract
• 1⁄4-1⁄2 cup  slivered almonds or 1⁄4-1⁄2 cup  sliced almonds

Directions

1. To make pastry:
2. Mix all pastry ingredients in a large mixing bowl only until will blended.
3. Cover and let rise till doubled.
4. Meanwhile, make fillings and toppings.
5. For Cream Filling:
6. Heat milk in saucepan.
7. Mix egg yolk into dry ingredients.
8. Add a little warm milk to temper, then mix with heated milk.
9. Stir and cook till thick.
10. Remove from heat and cover with plastic wrap.
11. Cool.
12. For Almond Filling:
13. Mix all ingredients with until well blended.
14. For Streusel Topping:
15. Mix all ingredients with fingers or pastry blender until mixture resembles course crumbs.
16. For Almond Icing:
17. Combine powdered sugar with enought milk or cream to make a slightly runny icing.
18. Add almond extract.
19. Punch down dough.
20. Divide dough into 4 equal parts.
21. Using one portion of the dough, roll out into a rectangle on a lightly floured board.
22. Spread 1/4 cream filling on each; then 1/4 almond filling.
23. Roll up jelly-roll fashion.
24. Cut about 10 slashes through top with a sharp knife.
25. Repeat with remaining 3 portions of dough.
26. Place each roll on greased cookie sheet.
27. Shape into wreath or candy cane shape.
28. Sprinkle with streusel topping.
29. Let rise in a warm place till double in bulk.
30. Bake at 375* for 20 minute.
31. Drizzle with Almond Icing and sprinkle with almonds.