Danish pastries

It's easy to buy Danish pastries from supermarkets or a bakery but if you're not near the shops and are craving something sweet, then they couldn't be easier or healthier to make. Army chefs have to adapt to the environment and country they are working in and are taught how to make all different kinds of pastries. The recipe below is for a basic Danish pastry mixture but feel free to add dry or fresh fruits, chocolate or whatever else takes your fancy.

Ingredients Strong flour 500g Caster sugar 30g Butter (1) 60g Butter (2) 180g Milk 200ml yeast 30g salt Good Pinch eggs 2 Lemon juice 1/2

Method Cooking temperature 210 c 1. Sieve flour and salt, rub in butter (1). 2. Mix the eggs and sugar together. Dissolve yeast in cold milk. 3. Make a bay in the flour, add all the liquid content. Mix to a smooth dough. Knead until a smooth textured dough is achieved. 4. Refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes. 5. Roll out butter (2) in a greaseproof paper envelope, as per the method of Puff Paste (size of A4 paper). 6. Pin-out a rectangle 50cm x 25cm. 7. Place the butter envelope onto 2/3 of the paste, leaving a 1.2cm gap around the edge. 8. Fold as for puff paste into three, keeping corners square. This is the first turn. Rest for approximately 20 minutes. Roll out paste to 50 x 25 for each turn. 9. Repeat process giving a further three turns, total of four in all, with at least 20 minute rests between turns in a cool area or refrigerator. Before rolling paste, ensure the dough reaches room temperature to avoid hard butter splitting the layers of paste. Carefully remove air by pressing.