Danish Puff

This is a delicious dessert which was popular in the 70s. Is it a strudel? A Danish pastry? A tart? Yes. It combines the best of each of those, with far less work than you might think. Very impressive to serve to guests.
The tender yet crispy base is the simplest of hand-formed butter pastries (no rolling out) and the topping is a basic chou recipe, the same dough used for cream puffs and eclairs. Though loaded with butter, the only sugar in the whole recipe is in the glaze. And you won't miss it!
DO NOT try substituting margarine for this-- it's butter or nothing!


Ingredients:
For the crust:
1/2 cup cold butter
1 cup flour
2-3 TBS cold water
Dash salt (ONLY if you are using unsalted butter)

For the topping:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1 tsp. almond extract or 5-6 drops concentrated almond oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
Dash salt (again, only if using unsalted butter)
3 large eggs, at room temperature

For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 TBS soft butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. each almond and lemon extracts (or less almond oil, and 1 tsp. lemon juice)
Up to 2 TBS milk to thin as necessary
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts OR toasted slivered almonds

How to make it:
In a small bowl (or in food processor), cut the butter into the flour until butter is the size of small peas. Add salt if using.
Bind with just enough cold water to make a malleable dough.
Handling dough as gently as possible, halve it and with your hands, form each into about a 12"x4" rectangle on a baking sheet. Pinch up the edges so the crust has a rim all around.
Chill this, or store in a cool place, while making the topping.

Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.
In a saucepan, melt butter (cut into chunks) together with water, stirring, until all the butter is melted and the mixture comes to a full, rolling boil, climbing the sides of the saucepan.
Remove from heat and turn the heat to LO.
Immediately dump all the flour (and salt if using) into the butter/water mixture at once, return to low heat, and beat furiously with a wooden spoon until it is all absorbed and smooth. It will clean the sides of the pan when mixed properly.
Remove from heat and beat in the almond extract and the eggs, one at a time. You can either do this by hand or, to get added volume, with an electric beater.
Beat until smooth and shiny.

Spread this mixture evenly onto the 2 crusts, spreading all the way to the raised edges.
Bake for at least 1 hour or until crust is browned and topping is high, puffy and browned.
Cool on the baking pan for half an hour before glazing.

To make glaze, beat the powdered sugar with the rest of the ingredients until you get a smooth and drippy glaze, adding more sugar or milk as necessary.
Glaze the Puffs evenly and, while still wet, sprinkle with chopped walnuts or slivered almonds.
Let set at room temperature for an hour at least, half a day at most, before slicing and serving.
Serves 10-12, depending on the size of your slices and the greed of your consumers.

(Also absolutely heavenly the next day with your mid-morning coffee!)