Danish pastries are sweet bread products made from yeast dough, often filled with fruit, jam, or cream. The dough is rich in butter and spices, rolled out into thin layers, and shaped into individual pastries. The fillings are variable, and the pastries are a popular breakfast or snack around the world. In 2006, Danish pastries were at the center of an international controversy following the publication of political cartoons. Despite this, Danish sweets are enjoyed globally and are readily available in coffee shops, bakeries, and grocery stores.
A Danish or Danish pastry, it is a sweet bread product made from yeast dough. Originally from Austria at an unknown date, the Danish pastry rose to prominence in Denmark and has become a popular breakfast or snack around the world. Danishes come in many varieties and are often filled with fruit, jam or cream.
Danishes are made with a dough rich in butter, mixed with eggs, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Spices can be added to the base dough for additional flavoring, including cinnamon, allspice, and cardamom. The dough is rolled out into thin layers and often coated with more butter, before being shaped into individual pastries. Often, Danish dough is chilled before baking or rolled out and buttered repeatedly to increase the dough’s flakiness and texture.
The fillings for Danish desserts are as variable as possible. Traditionally, fruit preserves and custard are commonly found in Denmark, although chocolate-filled Danishes are also popular. In other places, Danishes are filled with sweet cheese, whole pieces of fruit, or nut-spice blends. A Danish pastry can really be filled with whatever you like best, so don’t be afraid to experiment.
When baked, the dry yeast used in the dough causes the Danish pastry to rise, creating a flaky, rich bread that will crumble easily. Just like their cousins, croissants, Danish pastries are a favorite breakfast food in many places. Danish is quite versatile, however, and can also be enjoyed as a morning or afternoon snack, perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.
In 2006, the Danish pastry shop found itself at the center of a surprising international controversy following the publication of some political cartoons by a Danish cartoonist. The cartoons depicted the Prophet Muhammad, seen as a religious affront to some Islamic practitioners. In response, the Iranian Pastry Union decided to symbolically boycott Danish products by renaming Danish pastries “Roses of the Prophet Mohammad”. This has met with mixed reactions in many industries.
Regardless of their international approach to politics, Danish sweets are enjoyed around the world. Their flaky, buttery dough sounds irresistible to those looking for a sweet morning treat, and the variety of flavors available can certainly provide a danish for most tastes. Danish pastries are readily available in coffee shops, bakeries, and grocery stores, and usually range in price from $1 to $4 US dollars per pastry.
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