Pain Aux Raisin Danish Pastries
Bakery style pain aux raisins made with homemade Danish pastry! Here, flaky pastry is filled with a rich vanilla pastry cream & plump, juicy raisins.
Servings: 10 Danishes
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Mixing Bowl
- Sieve
- Rolling Pin
- Baking Trays
Ingredients
Pastry Cream
- 250 g Whole Milk
- 50 g Caster Sugar
- ½ A Vanilla Pod (Or 1 tsp Vanilla Paste)
- A Pinch Of Sea Salt
- 40 g Egg Yolks
- 20 g Cornflour
- 15 g Unsalted Butter
Assembly
- 1 kg Danish Pastry Dough (See Notes)
- 130 g Raisins (See Notes)
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Whole Milk
Glaze
- 100 g Apricot Jam
- 2 tsp Hot Water
Instructions
Pastry Cream
- Add the milk, vanilla, salt & half of the caster sugar into a large saucepan then set over a low heat. Warm gently, stirring occasionally until steaming hot.If you're using a vanilla pod, scrape the seeds out then add both the pod & seeds to the milk.
- Whilst your milk is warming up, place the yolks, cornflour & remaining sugar into a mixing bowl & whisk by hand until pale, smooth & combined. This will take a minute or so.
- Once the milk is steaming hot, pour half of it into the yolks, whisking as you do so. Pour the now tempered yolks into the pan of milk.
- Increase the heat to medium then cook, whisking constantly until the custard is thick & starting to bubble. This will take around 3-4 minutes. If you take the temperature of the custard with a food probe, it should be around 85°c/185°f once cooked.To check if the custard is ready, stop whisking every 20-30 seconds once it has thickened. If a few bubbles appear & pop, the custard is ready. Be careful not to overcook it though!
- Once the custard is cooked, take the pan off the heat, whisk in the butter then pass through a sieve, into a bowl. Place a piece of baking parchment onto the custard's surface, leave to cool slightly then refrigerate until completely cold. This will take at least 2 hours.I like to make the pastry cream the night before so that it's ready to go the next day!
Assembly
- Before making the danishes, place the raisins into a bowl, cover with hot water then leave to soak for at least an hour. Drain the fruit well (through a sieve) before using. You'll also need to make an egg wash by whisking the egg & milk together in a small bowl.
- Roll the danish pastry out on a lightly floured work surface into a rectangle that measures 30x40cm & is roughly 5mm thick. If necessary, trim the edges slightly so that they are straight. Position the pastry so that it's sitting horizontally (landscape), with a longer side closest to you.For these pastries, you'll need a batch of my danish pastry dough. The dough should be chilled for at least 2 hours before making this recipe.
- Next, take the pastry cream out of the fridge & whisk by hand, until smooth & at a spreadable consistency. Spoon the pastry cream on top of the pastry then use a palette knife to spread it out into an even layer, leaving a 1 inch border on the longest side closest to you. Brush this border with a light layer of egg wash.
- Sprinkle the soaked raisins evenly over the pastry cream then roll the pastry up into a tight sausage, starting at the longer edge that's furthest away from you (the one without the border). Once rolled up, make sure that the pastry is sitting with the seam on the bottom.
- Lightly trim each end slightly then use a sharp knife to cut the pastry into 4cm wide pieces. Place the danishes onto lined baking trays as you cut them, leaving plenty of room between each one. Place the pastries onto the tray so that the cut edge is facing up, showing the filling.You should get 10 danishes. I find that cutting gently in a sawing motion helps get the cleanest slices.
- Next, cover the trays loosely with clingfilm (or an upside down roasting tin) & leave to prove at room temperature until the pastries are light & airy and wobble when you gently shake the tray. This will take between 2-3 hours.
Baking
- In the meantime, preheat an oven to 220°c/200°c fan (428°f/392°f).
- Once the danishes are ready to cook, brush the tops & sides with a light coating of egg wash then bake for 16-18 minutes, until they're well risen & a deep golden brown.Depending on the size of your oven, you may need to bake the pastries 1 tray at a time. I'd recommend turning the tray around after 12-14 minutes, so that they colour evenly.
- Whilst the danishes are baking, add the apricot jam & water into a bowl then stir to combine. Gently brush the top of the pastries with a good layer of jam as soon as they come out of the oven.If needed, warm the jam in a microwave to make it a more brush-able consistency.
Notes
1. To Bake In An Aga - Bake the danishes in the roasting oven, on the bottom set of runners for 14-16 minutes (turning them around after 12 minutes). . Use the simmering plate to cook the pastry cream.
2. Danish Pastry - You'll need a single batch of my danish pastry dough for this recipe.
3. Raisins - I used a 50/50 mix of regular raisins & golden raisins for my danishes but using just one type is just as good! Sultanas will also work. To make the raisins plump & juicy, it's best to soak them in hot water for at least an hour before using.
4. Making In Advance - Both the danish pastry & the pastry cream can be made up to a day in advance before using. They both need to be stored in the fridge.
5. Storage & Reheating - Danish pastries are best eaten on the day that they were baked but will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat them, bake them at 180°c/356°f for 5-6 minutes.