(Save the Polar) Bear Claws... 5 years in the making

On November 2, 2011, I received the following email from my dad:

found this as i was cleaning up old boxes of stuff....must have kept it thinking 'how interesting'....note date...eve of your graduation!!

The attached file contained a New York Times magazine clipping from May 20, 2007, entitled Flour Power: Even a bakery -- especially a bakery -- can lower the wattage, about a New York City bakery called Birdbath that billed itself as a "green bakery." The primary point of interest, at least for Dad, seemed to be a recipe for (Save the Polar) Bear Claws.

It warms my heart a bit to think that even then, my dad felt like baking could be "a thing" for me. As far as I can remember, I didn't really get into baking until sometime in college, and I didn't actually get to practice much while I was in school because I didn't have a proper kitchen. Despite all of that, Dad seemed to know that someday I might appreciate this clipping, and he managed to save it all this time. Parents know best, I guess... Or maybe it is partially attributable to my family's mild "hoarder" tendencies.

Anyway, fast forward 5 years from when Dad first snipped the article, and my parents have befriended the nicest, coolest stone fruit farmer at our farmer's market, and have taken to making preserves from his glorious bounty. Re-enter ye ole' bear claws recipe, which calls for both dried and preserved apricots.

I finished baking these tonight, and while they're certainly delicious, the truth (as Mom pointed out) is that these aren't really bear claws -- at least not in the traditional sense. As you can see from the picture, they're much more like my old standby pop tarts, but with notches cut on one end to resemble bear toes. I actually prefer the pop tart pastry recipe, because I think the addition of egg yolks makes for a more delicious crust, but these bear claws do use mascarpone cheese, which is an interesting twist. Would I make these again? I'm not sure. Am I glad I tried them once? Absolutely. Aren't they cute? Plus, let's be honest -- it is extremely difficult to go wrong with pastry and fruit. 

Here's a link to the original article from the NYT. Recipe follows.

(Save the Polar) Bear ClawsUse organic ingredients where possible.
For the dough:

4 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 pound (4 sticks) butter, softened

1 pound (2 cups) mascarpone

For the filling and topping:

2 cups unsulfured dried apricots

1/3 cup apricot preserves

1 large egg yolk

2 tablespoons heavy cream

3 ½ tablespoons turbinado sugar.

1. Place the flour and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, until incorporated. Then add the mascarpone, 2 tablespoons at a time, until blended.

2. Divide the dough into 3 equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

3. Prepare the filling by bringing the apricots and 2 ½ cups water to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Let cool completely, then drain apricots and roughly chop.

4. Dust a work surface lightly with flour. Roll one disc of chilled dough into an 9-by-13-inch rectangle, ¼ -inch thick. Then cut the rectangle into 3 (9-by-4 1/3-inch) smaller rectangles. Lay each rectangle vertically. Place 2 ½ to 3 tablespoons apricots on the bottom half of the rectangle. Top with 1 ½ teaspoons of apricot preserves. Fold the top half of the dough over the fruit and press down along the edges to seal. Using a paring knife, cut away a small amount of the sealed edge to tighten the seal. Cut 4 ( 3/4-inch-long) slits into the sealed end (opposite the fold) to make bear nails. Repeat with the remaining discs of dough. Refrigerate the bear claws for 30 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, cream and a few drops of water. Place bear claws on the baking sheets 2 inches apart. Brush the top of each bear claw with the egg wash, then sprinkle with sugar.

6. Bake until golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove bear claws from the oven and let cool. Makes about 9 bear claws. Adapted from Maury Rubin, the owner of Birdbath bakeries.