Apricot Danish with Custard - a simple version

I clearly remember the first rock concert that I ever saw, it was Robert Plant supported by Jimmy Page on lead guitar at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

As a teenager freshly moved to the city the excitement was enormous and it was a huge event.
I was so excited I just wanted to get on the train into the city and not bother with dinner, so my friends and I stopped at a bakery on Bondi Road and bought various pastries to eat on the train.
I chose an apricot danish - my very first bites of this delight.  It didn't quite look like this one, and had a cream cheese filling but it was still the start of a love affair!

Needless to say Robert Plant was fantastic, performing largely Led Zeppelin songs and the crescendo of Stairway to Heaven was phenomenal.   The adrenalin of the performers and the audience was electric.

There are some things in life you just look at and decide you can do too. I was determined to make danish. I have been making apricot danishes periodically since then and Led Zeppelin are still great listening.

This is my super quick adapted recipe, perfect for everyone.

# Take 4 sheets of ready made puff pastry out of the freezer and place on their plastic sheets, on your bench.
Turn on an old Led Zeppelin album, to create the mood.
# Make 2 cups custard, you can create an egg custard or even a packet mix will do for this recipe.  Let cool.
# Open a 800gram can of apricot halves and drain in a colander.
# Beat one egg yolk with one tablespoon milk for egg wash.
# 2 tablespoons apricot jam warmed, for glazing after cooked.
#  Lightly butter two baking trays.
#  Heat oven to 200 Celsius.

Cut the sheets of puff pastry, when defrosted, into four quarters.
Place a big tablespoon of custard into 2 corners of the pastry, as shown.

Place an upturned apricot half on top of the custard.

Fold over one side and lightly press to keep it's shape, as shown below.

Then turn the other side over on top of your first layer, lightly pressing to seal.

Carefully remove from plastic and place onto buttered baking tray.

Brush the egg wash on top of the apricot danishes.

Sprinkle the middle of each one with a little white sugar.

Bake at 200 celsius for approx 30 minutes, turning heat down to 190 celsius if browning too quickly.

Rotate your trays every 10 minutes.

Remove from oven, place onto cooling rack and brush the middle lightly with apricot jam.

Buon appetito, enjoy Merryn.

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