Categories: Desserts 
      Yield: 6 servings 
  
      4    To 6 cups flour                   1/4 ts Ground cardamom seeds 
      2 pk Dry yeast or 1 ounce fresh               -(optional) 
           -yeast                              1 ts Vanilla 
      3 tb Sugar                           1 1/4 c  Cold milk (approximately) 
      1 ts Salt                                2 c  Butter, firm, but not ice 
      3    Whole eggs or 6 egg yolks                -cold 
      1 ts Grated orange rind              
  
  When making Danish pastry it is important to keep the dough very cold. In 
  shaping small pastries, it is sometimes necessary to re-chill partially 
  shaped dough until it is firm enough for the job to be completed. When you 
  first make the pastry, be careful to follow all the rules. Don't make it in 
  the summertime unless your kitchen is air conditioned. After you gain 
  experience you may attempt short cuts such as rolling out and folding the 
  dough twice in succession without re-chilling. Another way of shortening 
  the process is by placing the dough in the freezer between rollings. 
  Usually 10 minutes in the freezer is suffiecient. When you use this short 
  cut, be careful not to freeze the dough solid. The shaped pastries can also 
  be chilled in the freezer. They can even be baked frozen if extra baking 
  time is allowed. Any unbaked yeast pastries, however, should never be kept 
  frozen for more than a week or so; and it is preferable to bake anish 
  pastry within a day or two after it has been shaped. 
   
  Place 4 cups flour in large bowl.  Reserve remaining flour for rolling. 
  Make a well in center of bowl. 
   
  If dry yeast is used, see directions on package.  If fresh yeast is used, 
  cream it with sugar and salt to make a syrup.  Add egg yolks or whole eggs, 
  grated orange rind, ground cardamom seeds, and vanilla. 
   
  Pour yeast mixture into well.  Add one cup milk and 1/4 cup butter cut into 
  pieces.  Mix with finger tips, adding more milk if necessary to make a 
  medium-soft dough.  Knead dough in bowl for 5 minutes, or until it is 
  smooth but not elastic.  Flour it and let rest in refrigerator for 30 
  minutes. 
   
  While dough is resting, form remaining butter into a flattened brick. Using 
  some of the reserved flour on wax paper or pastry cloth, roll out butter 
  into a square about 1/3 inch thick.  Use plenty of flour under and on top 
  of butter to keep it from sticking.  Loosen it frequently as you rol. Cut 
  the square in 2 pieces.  Place in refrigerator between sheets of wax paper. 
   
  Roll out dough on well-floured cloth to make a rectangle 3 times longer 
  than wide and about 1/3 inch thick.  Brush excess flour from dough. Place a 
  piece of butter in center.  Fold one end of dough over butter. Place 
  remaining butter on top.  Fold second end over the butter.  Press edges 
  together. 
   
  Turn dough, changing its position so that the short ends are parallel with 
  the edge of table nearest you.  Roll out on well-floured cloth, using a 
  firm, even motion to spread butter together with dough.  Try to work 
  quickly, but check frequently underneat the dough to be sure it isn't 
  sticking.  Roll out a rectangele 3 times longer than wide, about 1/3 inch 
  thick.  rush excess flour from surface.  Fold both ends of dough to meet in 
  center.  Press edges together, then fold in half as if closing a book, 
  which will make 4 layers of dough.  Flour dough.  Place on a cooky sheet. 
  Cover with aluminum foil.  Refrigerate for 1/2 hour. 
   
  Repeat rolling and folding dough 3 more times, chilling it 20 minutes 
  between rollings.  Be sure to change position of dough each time so that 
  the short ends of dough are parallel with the edge of the table nearest you 
  when you start rolling. 
   
  After the final folding, chill dough at least 3 hours before shaping and 
  baking. 
   
  From: The Art of Fine Baking Shared By: Pat Stockett