My mom claims that this is not her recipe. But aren’t all recipes fair game? If you’re the one waking up early on a Saturday morning and baking an apple danish for your family, aren’t you the one who deserves all the glory?

I didn’t necessarily wake up early this morning, but it still counts.

I cannot tell you what a perfect little treat this is. It’s so versatile ~ you can fill it with anything, but the original one from my youth had apples.

It’s also the most forgiving crust EVER. It was created for sleepy bakers on Saturday mornings, who perhaps aren’t caffeinated enough to focus on a difficult crust recipe.

I’ve cut the original recipe in half, just to serve the Hub and me, without a lot leftover. I also tweaked it just a bit ~ butter instead of shortening, all made in the food processor. Just slight changes but the outcome is still crazy delicious.

Here’s how it’s done!!!

MOM’S BREAKFAST DANISH

In a food processor, pulse the following ingredients until mixed together:

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Add 1 stick of cold butter, cut into cubes, and pulse around 10 pulses, or until the mixture is crumbly.

Add 1 egg yolk and 1/3 cup milk and pulse until the mixture forms a ball.

Dump the dough onto a floured surface, divide, and put both balls in the fridge for 30 minutes, if you can. If you have hungry family members waiting, you can skip this step ~ it’s just a little harder to work with the dough when it’s not chilled.

(This would be a perfect place to stop if you were making the dough the night before. Just wrap both halves in cling wrap and stick them in the fridge until the next morning.)

Roll out dough on a floured surface, using flour on the dough and on the rolling pin.

Cover the bottom and sides of a small tart pan or mini tins, or even a metal sheet pan. That’s how my mom makes it ~ in a large, rectangular cookie sheet pan. It’s meant to be thin and can serve lots of people! (Or in our Bunker ~ two hungry ones)

FILLING:

This is so incredibly versatile ~ the sky is the limit! I’ve never tried a savory one, but I really want to some time.

The basic one is sliced apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar. Tough to beat.

This morning, I used a can of pears, drained, an apple (we only had one), and brown sugar (only about 1/4 cup). Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste.

I have made cherry before, which was insanely good, and I’ve also made peach. Also amazing.

Fill the tart shells and sprinkle some kind of yummy cereal over the fruit, like cornflakes or granola. You can also use sliced almonds, or even leave this step out. It’s nice to have a bit of crunch in there, though.

I used nothing this time, because I had nothing. We’re a little slim on cereal these days.

Top with the other half of the dough, and poke a few holes in the top.

Brush the top with the leftover beaten egg white, and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 375 for an hour (if large) and more like 30-35 minutes (if small). Just watch for the brown you prefer on a crust. Some people like it browner than others. I love it super brown.

I made small individual ones today, and they brought me immense JOY. The tarts pop out of their little tin molds pretty easily ~ just use a knife here and there to make sure it’s loose, lay a plate on top, flip it over gently, then jiggle the tin loose. Lay another plate on top and flip it back over!

 

These are very classy little additions to a brunch or breakfast.

However, this is Missouri, so we like to go overboard and add a powdered sugar glaze. OH YES. Never enough sugar here in the Show-Me State.

POWDERED SUGAR GLAZE

All you need is a cup of powdered sugar, a tablespoon of water, and a dash of vanilla or almond flavoring. Whisk together and adjust consistency until you have a nice, pourable glaze. Not too thick.

The glaze can go on the danish while it’s warm.

You can also sprinkle sliced almonds over the top, too, if you’re feeling fancy.

This is just one of those recipes that I will never stop making. It’s ALWAYS a good idea!