This Old Fashioned Bear Claw Recipe is easy to make because it's prepared with time saving store bought puff pastry and a simple almond filling. The bear claws are sweet, crispy, and delicious.
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These old fashioned bear claws are the perfect easy pastry. Bear claws are a buttery pastry filled with almond filling and cut in the shape of a bear's claws. They make a great breakfast pastry, weekend brunch item, or sweet treat. My favorite thing about these danish pastries is the perfect combination of crispy pastry and smooth and creamy almond filling inside. This bear claw recipe is sure to become a favorite.
Why We Love This Recipe
- The puff pastry makes them quick and easy to make.
- They're so crunchy, and the filling gives the perfect almond taste, and the icing adds sweetness.
- They acutally look like a bear claw, which is very cute.
- They're perfect for a sweet breakfast treat, or a snack.
Ingredients
- Puff Pastry: We've used frozen puff pastry for our pastry so these almond bear claws are really quick and easy to put together. The puff pastry adds a wonderful buttery taste and flakey texture to these almond bear claw pastries. Frozen puff pastry is easy to find in the freezer section of your grocery store. It comes in sheets, already rolled out and ready to use. You do need to defrost it before using it, according to the directions on the box.
- Almond Filling: Bear claws are traditionally made with a sweet almond paste filling inside. The taste is very similar to an almond danish or the filling of an almond croissant. Look for almond paste at your grocery store in the baking section. This filling adds a real richness to the pastries. It's easy to make and so delicious.
- Icing: Bear claws are traditionally baked with a sprinkling of sliced almonds. Some People like to also sprinkle them with coarse sugar or cinnamon sugar before baking to create a sugary crust on the outside. We prefer a quick almond icing instead of the sugar sprinkled on top. The icing glaze is made almond flavored with the addition of a little almond extract, you can use vanilla instead if you prefer. We love how the almond icing goes with the sliced almonds on the outside, and the almond filling inside.
Variation
- Chocolate Almond Bear Claws: If you are a chocolate lover, you might like to try adding chocolate to the traditional almond bear claw. To make the chocolate version add about 1 teaspoon of chocolate chips to each pastry, on top of the almond filling, before folding the pastry over and sealing it all inside.
How To Make This Recipe
1. Divide each of the 2 puff pastry sheet into 6 equal rectangles, giving you 12 rectangles in total.
2. To make the filling combine the almond paste, butter, flour and ¼ cup powdered sugar in a food processor. Beat an egg in a small bowl, and add half of the egg into the food processor, and save the other half for later. Combine all these ingredients until a smooth almond filling is formed.
3. Divide the almond paste mixture evenly between the 12 pastry pieces and place it in the center of each rectangle.
Fold dough over and seal the edges, using a fork to press down firmly along the edges of dough. Use a sharp knife to make 4 short slits along one side of the pastry to make the bear's claws.
Take care not to cut the slits too deep into the pastry. If the slits are too deep and not sealed the pastry will leak out during the baking.
4. Brush the pastry with the leftover egg wash, and then sprinkle with sliced almonds, or add one sliced almond to make 5 bear claws. Arrange the bear claw pastry on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place dough with a slight curve, to create the bear claw shape.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 F for 12 minutes until they are golden brown. Let the pastries cool on a wire rack.
6. To make the glaze, combine 3 tablespoon powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract in a small bowl and stir until well combined. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled individual bear claws.
Storage
This delicious pastry is best enjoyed the day you make it. Save any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.
Expert Tip
Be sure to seal your pastry very well, and not make the slits too deep. If the slits are too deep the filling will seep out of the pastry as it cooks and overcook on the baking pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you're filling leaked out during the baking of your bear claw you didn't seal the side of the pastry well enough, and you also cut your slits too deeply.
Yes, many people sprinkle the sliced almonds all over the pastry before baking. We love how they look like bear claws, but either version works.
These are best eaten the day they are made. You can make the filling ahead of time and store it in the fridge. The day off you just need to put them together, bake, and then add the quick glaze on top.
More Recipe Inspiration
If you try these Old Fashioned Almond Bear Claw Pastries or any other recipe on my blog please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
Recipe
Old Fashioned Almond Bear Claw Pastries
Ingredients
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry dough
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup butter
- 4 oz. almond paste
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 3 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Divide each of the 2 puff pastry sheet into 6 equal rectangles, giving you 12 rectangles in total.
- To make the filling combine the almond paste, butter, flower, and ¼ cup powdered sugar in a food processor. Beat an egg in a small bowl, and add half of the egg into the food processor, and save the other half for later. Combine all these ingredients until a smooth almond filling is formed.
- Divide the almond paste mixture evenly between the 12 pastry pieces and place it in the center of each rectangle. Fold dough over and seal the edges, using a fork to press down firmly along the edges of dough. Use a sharp knife to make 4 short slits along one side of the pastry, taking care to make sure the edge is still very well sealed so that the filling doesn't seep out of the slits as it bakes.
- Brush the pastry with the leftover egg wash, and then sprinkle with sliced almonds, or add one sliced almond to make 5 bear claws. Arrange the bear claw pastry on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place dough with a slight curve, to create the bear claw shape.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 400 F for 12 minutes until they are golden brown. Let the pastries cool on a wire rack.
- To make the glaze, combine 3 tablespoon powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract in a small bowl and stir until well combined. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled individual bear claws.
Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist says
These pastries are crispy on the outside and soft and creamy in the middle with the perfect addition of sliced almonds and icing on top.