Dreamy warm Danish

with walnuts, creamy bananas, and chocolate cinnamon long-ago smoke

Ingredients

Dough

3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

3 ripe bananas, sliced

3/4 cup milk, heated to 110°F

1 envelope dry yeast

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed

and for dusting

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter

Filling

1 stick unsalted butter, softened, plus more for dotting

3 ounces dark chocolate, melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

2 cups walnuts, lightly crushed

Instructions

1. Make the dough. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the eggs and bananas on low speed until the bananas are lightly crushed, about 1 minute. In a separate bowl, stir the warm milk and yeast until the yeast dissolves. Pour the yeast mixture over the egg and banana mixture. Sift together the flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Cover the yeast mixture with about 1 cup of the flour mixture and let sit until the yeast rises and cracks through the flour cover, about 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and combine, gradually adding the remaining flour mixture.

2. Replace the paddle attachment with a dough hook and continue working the dough until it is sticky and smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, about 10 minutes. Add more flour if necessary to keep the consistency of the dough sticky. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and work by hand for 5 minutes longer. Turn into a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and chill in the refrigerator while you work the butter.

3. On a lightly floured surface, pound the butter flat using a floured rolling pin. Fold the butter in half and pound flat again, pounding until the butter is workable. Using your hands, shape the butter into an 8-inch square.

4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into 16-inch square. Place the butter in the center of the dough square, then “package” the butter inside the dough by folding the dough over the butter from all four directions. Pinch the dough together at the seams to seal the package.

5. Lift the “package” and dust the counter again with the flour. Lay the dough down and use the rolling pin to roll the dough out to a large rectangle, about 12 by 16 inches.

6. Fold the dough in the thirds by folding a short side of the rectangle towards the center. Then fold the other side over so it completely covers the dough, forming a square of three layers of dough. Place the dough back in the refrigerator to chill about 30 minutes.

7. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and repeat steps 5 and 6. Do this one more time, resting the dough in the refrigerator for half an hour between each folding process.

8. Make the filling. Mix the butter and melted chocolate. Stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon.

9. Return the dough to the lightly floured surface and roll out into a TK by TK-inch rectangle about 1 inch thick. Whisk the egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water and lightly brush over the dough. Top with the chocolate filling and sprinkle with the crushed walnuts. Beginning with a long side, roll the dough up lengthwise.

10. Butter two 9-inch round glass baking dishes. With the seam side down, slice the dough log into 1/2-inch-thick pieces and place cut side down in the prepared dishes. There should be almost no space between the rolls. Brush the tops of the rolls with any leftover egg wash. Cover both baking dishes with plastic wrap and set aside to rise, about 40 minutes.

11. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
12. Dot the tops of the rolls with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake until golden brown and puffy, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm.

Ingredients

Pancakes

1 cup milk

1 envelope dry yeast

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, separated

Unsalted butter, for cooking

Topping

1 cup good-quality maple syrup

1 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon heavy cream

1 cup assorted fresh berries

Instructions

1. Make the pancakes. Warm the milk over low heat until just warm to the touch. Pour into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and let dissolve, about 5 minutes.

2. Whisk the flour, salt, and egg yolks into the yeast mixture until the batter is smooth and lump free. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside to rise in a warm place, about 1 hour.

3. In the bowl of a sland mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites into stiff glossy peaks. Gently fold the whites into the pancake batter.

4. Warm 1 tablespoon butter in a nonstick omelet pan or griddle over medium-high heat until it foams and subsides. Drop in the batter by 2-tablespoonsized rounds and cook until the edges bubble and the pancakes turn golden brown, about 1 minute. Carefully flip the pancakes and continue cooking until golden brown but still soft in the center about 45 seconds longer. Repeat with remaining batter, adding butter to the pan as necessary.

5. Make the topping. Bring the maple syrup to a simmer, then whisk in the chocolate and cream. Let cool slightly, then whisk until smooth.

6. Serve the pancakes hot with assorted berries and warm chocolate maple syrup.

Quantity: 8