BREAKFAST CLAW RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375ºF. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, beat egg lightly with whisk. Place 1/2 of the egg (about 1 1/2 Tbs.) in a custard cup and beat in the milk until well blended. Set this aside, it will be used as a wash later.
• To the remaining egg in the bowl, stir in the remaining filling ingredients until well blended.
• Meanwhile, in 1-quart heavy saucepan, mix glaze ingredients. Heat to boiling and remove from heat; cool while making rolls.
• On a lightly floured work surface, unroll dough; press into a 12x8-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal.
• Spoon filling into a 12x2-inch strip lengthwise down the center 1/3 of the dough.
• Fold 1/3 of dough over filling. Then fold the filling-topped section over the last 1/3 of dough so the seam is on the bottom.
• With hand, gently flatten 1-inch wide strip of dough along one long side of folded dough.
• Cut folded dough crosswise into 6 (2-inch) pastries. Along flattened edge of each pastry, cut 1-inch long cuts about 1/2 inch apart.
• Lightly brush the egg-milk mixture from earlier over each pastry. Place almonds on a plate and invert each pastry onto almonds. Press gently so almonds stick to dough.
• Place almond side up on the cookies sheet, spreading each cut slightly to form claw like shape. Sprinkle remaining almonds over top of pastries.
• Bake for 15-18 min or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack and cool for 5 minute.
• Drizzle cooled glaze over each pastry.
• In another small bowl, mix icing ingredients until smooth - if too thick, add 1/2 teaspoons water at a time until drizzling consistency. Drizzle icing over cooled pastries.

Steps:

• Follow thawing directions on frozen puff pastry package to thaw dough prior to starting making the bear claw filling.
• Preheat oven to 400 or 375 degrees F, depending on what brand of frozen puff pastry dough you use. Pepperidge Farm is 400 degrees.
• Place a silicone sheet or parchment paper on a baking sheet.
• In a mixing bowl, place pieces of almond paste, almond liquor, and butter.
• Using a stand or hand mixer, beat until paste and other ingredients combine.
• Add egg whites, sugar, almond flour, cinnamon, and salt.
• Beat until well combined and fluffy. It should be a thick enough mixture to easily pipe, but not too thick.
• Place mixture in the corner of a gallon or quart zipper plastic bag or a piping bag.
• Beat the egg yolks and water together and set aside.
• Roll out half of thawed pastry dough into a rectangle that is approximately 10 X 12 inches.
• Cut into six rectangles of approximately 5 X 4 inches.
• Cut the corner of the plastic bag so that the filling mixture can be squeezed (piped) in a strip.
• Pipe a bead (row) of filling starting near the middle of a pastry rectangle. I like a lot of filling so I pipe two to three beads of filling so that it makes a 2-ish inch strip that ends about 1/2 inch from the side edge of the rectangle. I get within a 1/2-inch at the top and the bottom of the rectangle, but you can leave 1/2-inch clearance all the way around if you like.
• You can use some of the egg wash to lightly go around the outer edge of half of the rectangle of dough to seal one half of the pastry to the other. Or, you can just firmly press the pastry together on the edges, especially if the dough is rather soft.
• Cut 4 slits rather evenly along the folded edge of the filled pastry. (Yes, you cut the the filled area).
• Lay each filled pastry on the prepared baking sheet slightly curving the pastry at the top where you have sealed the edges so the split area separates.
• Place in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes to chill dough again.
• Brush with egg wash and top with slice almond.
• Bake at 400 for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and light sounding when tapped. (I usually check on them at 10 minutes). If baking at 375 degrees, it may need to bake longer.
• Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack on a baking sheet.
• Roll out other half of the puff pastry dough and fill as directed after first batch is baked or while first batch is in the refrigerator/baking if you want to use two baking sheets. I do not recommend baking more than one sheet at a time.
• Combine the confectioners sugar, milk, extract, and salt in a small bowl. Use a fork or spoon to drizzle the icing/glaze on the baked bear claws as soon as they have cooled a little.
• They are great when served warm.