Cinnamon Bear Claws (once A Month Cooking)

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• danish pastry dough, posted separately
• 4 tablespoons sweet butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, mixed with
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/4 cup chopped raisins
• 1 teaspoon lemon rind, grated
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon milk

Recipe

• 1 on a lightly floured pastry cloth or floured board, roll dough to an 18x9-inch rectangle.
• 2 brush with half of butter, then sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar mixture, leaving a 1/4-inch edge all around. combine nuts, raisins and peel.
• 3 sprinkle evenly over sugared surface.
• 4 from longer side, fold one third of dough over.
• 5 then bring opposite side over this, to make a three layer strip 18x3-inches.
• 6 pinch together, to seal. with a sharp knife, cut strip crosswise into 6 sections.
• 7 on folded side of each, make 3 1-inch cuts, evenly spaced to freeze: arrange on tray.
• 8 separate "claws" slightly.
• 9 brush tops with rest of butter. wrap tray with foil; seal, label and freeze to bake: line a cookie sheet with brown paper.
• 10 arrange "claws" 2 inches apart on ungreased brown paper.
• 11 let rise in warm place until double in bulk about 1- 1 1/4 hour. meanwhile preheat the oven to 375°f.
• 12 mix the ingredients for the sugar glaze together in a small bowl.
• 13 bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
• 14 let cool slightly on wire rack.
• 15 drizzle glaze over warm rolls.
• 16 note: you can serve these in the morning for breakfast by pulling them out of the freezer the night before and let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight on a brown paper lined sheet.