Baking "Friday" - Bread # 6 - Part B

Yep, you're right.  Still not Friday.  I'm still making up for last Friday.

Did you see the pics of putting together the croissant dough yesterday?  Did I mention why croissant (and puff pastry dough, too, for that matter) is "laminated" with layers of butter between the dough?  It's because the butter causes this steam to happen in the oven magic which is what makes all of those luscious, flaky, buttery yummy goodness layers that we all love so well.  Do I understand all of that chemistry of heat and butter and dough and steam?  Shoot, no!  I just know it works, and I love that Helen has taught us how to combine the ingredients to make it happen!

Part B is all about the fillings/toppings for the danishes.  I have three - two of which are cooked and one that is too easy to be as good as it is.  Let's start with the cooked ones.  They both follow the same basic formula of sugar, juice or water, and cornstarch.  I like to use pineapple juice for this sort of thing.  Since we don't drink pineapple juice regularly, I try to keep a six-pack of these guys on hand to use in cooking and making special occasion drinks for the hubby and I.

I cooked up a blueberry filling using 3/4 cup of sugar, 2 T. cornstarch, a pinch of salt and one of these cans of juice.  I whisked together the sugar and cornstarch and salt and then added the juice and set it over heat - a medium high heat.  And then I added a bunch of blueberries.  How much is a bunch?  About this much?

(You pretty much can't get it wrong.  Is there really such a thing as too many blueberries?)

I cooked and stirred this mixture until thick and for about another minute or so beyond boiling to fully cook the cornstarch.  And since I still have some of that wonderful blueberry amaretto syrup from my hubby, I finished this off with a splash of that and a pat of butter.

For the cherry filling, I began by pitting a bunch of bing cherries.  (Yummy!)

No, not the pits!  Those aren't yummy, but these are.  (I managed to lose the picture of the cut up cherries before they got in the pan, because I've got a new phone and stuff happens when I get a new phone.  What can I say?  I'm phone file challenged...)

Same sugar, cornstarch, salt and juice ratio as for the blueberries, and cooked over medium-high heat until thick and then for about a minute or so longer to fully cook the cornstarch and to soften the cherries.

I finished this off with a pat of butter and quick splashes of vanilla and almond.  And poured both up to chill until ready to use.

My final filling is simply a combination of softened cream cheese with strained raspberry jam.  And like the chopped up cherries, that pic is lost in phone La-la-land, but I can show you what this looked like spread on the dough....pretty much equal parts.  Oh, and I like to strain the seeds out, so I warmed the jam and pushed it through a fine mesh strainer before mixing with the cream cheese.

I will post pics of shaping and serving the danishes tomorrow, and then that should bring me up to date by the time Friday rolls around with our 4th of July cookies...here's a sneak peak at one of those....

...except I need to turn it 90 degrees before I post it again on Friday....grrrrr...

I still seem to have SOOOOO much to learn about this blogging world!  Thanks for stopping by and being patient with my learning!

Talk to you tomorrow!