Bear Claws

Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 18
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup butter or 1/4 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 1/2 cups unsifted flour
• 2 tablespoons melted butter (for brushing on the dough)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped dates
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup chopped nuts, divided
• 5 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon rind
• 1 egg yolk, combined with 2 tablespoons water

Recipe

• 1 sweet dough: scald milk.
• 2 stir in sugar, salt, and butter.
• 3 cool to lukewarm.
• 4 measure warm water into large bowl and sprinkle on the yeast.
• 5 stir until dissolved.
• 6 stir in lukewarm milk mixture, eggs and half of the flour-- beat until smooth.
• 7 stir in remaining flour to make a stiff dough.
• 8 turn out on a floured board and knead 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
• 9 place in a greased bowl, turning to grease top of dough.
• 10 cover and let rise until doubled in bulk.
• 11 punch down.
• 12 prep: divide dough in half.
• 13 roll out half of dough on floured board into a 9-by-18-inch rectangle.
• 14 brush with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter.
• 15 combine dates, raisins and lemon rind with 1/2 cup of the nuts and 3 tablespoons of the sugar.
• 16 sprinkle half of this filling over the dough.
• 17 fold outside third of dough over center.
• 18 fold again to make a 3-layer strip 18 inches long.
• 19 pinch ends to seal.
• 20 cut and divide into 9 2-inch sections.
• 21 make four 1/4-inch cuts in one side of each section.
• 22 place on greased baking sheets and shape into bear claws by separating the four cut sections.
• 23 repeat with remaining dough and filling.
• 24 combine egg yolk and water.
• 25 brush rolls and sprinkle with 1/4 cup nuts and remaining sugar.
• 26 let rise, uncovered, until doubled in bulk, about one hour.
• 27 ]bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden.