Breakfast on Christmas morning calls for something extraordinary, that makes your loved ones feel extra-special. This recipe fits the bill. I first encountered it in my mother’s well-worn copy of a 1960s Betty Crocker cookbook. You won’t find it in a more recent version of the cookbook, more’s the pity.

During my childhood, my mom was very invested in healthy eating. She baked all our bread from scratch, canned countless quarts of homegrown vegetables and fruits, and routinely shopped at the health food store. Sweets were not a regular thing at our house. Desserts were reserved mostly for special occasions like birthdays, or times when we had company. So this pastry made an impression on me, because it may be the most decadent thing I remember my mom baking. And also, because it’s amazingly delicious.

The recipe requires common pantry ingredients and is actually quite simple to make, if slightly time-consuming. Every minute will be worth it when you serve this, though. Count on guests asking for the recipe—after exclaiming, “You made this?!?”—and your family members asking for a second (or third) helping.

Decadent, amazingly delicious pastry made with pantry ingredients ... simple to make but so impressive! Click To Tweet

One of the things you’ll notice right away is that both the base layer and the puff pastry contain no sugar; only the glaze is sweetened. This is not to say that you should mistake this for a diet food. It’s not. But again: Christmas is a special occasion.

I actually double the original Betty Crocker recipe, and instead of two pastries, I make three of slightly larger dimensions. It works for our large family … and allows me to give one away or send it to work with my husband.

Usually.

You’ll assemble this in three steps: the base, the puff pastry, and the glaze.

Danish Almond Puff Pastry  (original recipe published in the Betty Crocker New Picture Cook Book, @1961)

Ingredients for Base:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 4 Tbsp. water

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Cut parchment to cover a baking sheet.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the flour and cut in the butter with a pastry cutter. Combine the flour and butter until the mixture looks like large crumbs.

Sprinkle the water over the butter/flour mixture, and work through until the dough forms a ball.

Divide the dough in thirds, and spread on the parchment in three rectangles measuring 12″ x 4″ (approximately). Honestly, I find this the messiest and most time-consuming part of the whole recipe. The dough is not cooperative, especially on parchment paper. Once you get it spread out evenly, set the baking sheet aside as you assemble the second layer.

Ingredients for Puff Pastry:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1 Tbsp. almond extract
• 2 cups flour
• 6 large eggs

In a medium saucepan, heat the water to a strong, rolling boil. While you’re waiting, crack your eggs into a dish so they can be added quickly when it’s time. When the water is boiling, add the butter and almond extract, then allow the mixture to boil as you measure the flour.

Remove from heat, then add the flour and whisk to combine. After the flour is incorporated, return the pan to the burner and continue stirring the mixture over low heat (or, if you have an electric stove, turn off the burner and use the residual heat) for roughly 1-2 minutes or until it forms into a ball.

Once again, remove the pan from the heat. Add the eggs and stir quickly—you don’t want them to cook, which is precisely what will happen if you leave them in the bottom of the hot pan!—until well-combined. The mixture will have a smooth consistency.

Divide the puff pastry mixture roughly in thirds, and using a spatula, spread it over the three 12″ x 4″ rectangles on your baking sheet. (Try not to spread it past the edge of the base layer.)

Place your baking sheet on the center rack of your preheated oven. Bake for 60 minutes, or until the top of the pastries is nicely browned. I know it’s tempting, but please do not open the oven during the baking time. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool completely.

Ingredients for Glaze:

• 4 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract (you can substitute almond, if you prefer)
• 3-4 Tbsp. warm milk
• sliced almonds

In a small mixing bowl, combine butter, vanilla extract, sugar, and 2 Tbsp. milk. Mix until smooth, adding up to 2 Tbsp. more milk, as needed, to produce a smooth, spreadable consistency. I do recommend sifting the powdered sugar to produce a perfectly smooth glaze that can be mixed up easily with a fork.

Spread 1/3 of the glaze over each pastry, then sprinkle with sliced almonds. (A favorite addition at our house is finely chopped maraschino cherries. Almonds and cherries … yummm.)

And there you have it: a treat worthy of the most special occasion. By some strange kitchen alchemy, these everyday ingredients are transformed into an delicious, flaky pastry with a moist, creamy center … you’d almost think you added a filling of some sort. And in I-don’t-know-how-many times making the recipe, it has never disappointed. Not once.

Hope you’ll try it, and let us know if it becomes a favorite at your house, too!

Download the Danish Almond Puff Pastry Printable .