Biscuit Bear Claw

My husband and I love bear claws and they have not been the easiest danish to find here in Southern Utah. Since I have been have issues with baking in high altitude I decided to try and find a simpler way to make a bear claw without having to adjust for the high altitude.

Here is what I came up with using Pillsbury Grand Buttermilk Biscuits.  This is a cross between a bear claw and a coffee cake.  I am always wanting more of the almond filling in a bear claw and with my version I piled it on, I then topped it with a simple brown sugar glaze.

Biscuit Bear Claw

1 8 oz can almond paste
1 1/2 cups almond meal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla
1 tablespoon amaretto
1 8 count can of Pillsbury Grand Buttermilk Biscuits

Glaze:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup toasted almond slices

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Spray the inside and sides of a 8" springform pan with cooking spray and set aside.  Using an stand mixer or electric mixer start mixing the almond paste. Add almond meal, sugar and salt; mix until incorporated.  Add butter, egg whites, extract and amaretto; mix on medium high until fluffy.

Take 4 of the biscuits and stretch out (or roll out) until you can fit all 4 in the bottom of the springform pan, pinching seams together. Spread almond mixture on top of biscuits.  Take the other 4 biscuits and do the same thing placing them on top of the almond mixture. Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

10 minutes before you take the bear claw out of the oven start working on the glaze.  In a small saucepan on low heat melt the butter, brown sugar and salt until the grainy sugar is melted and smooth, just a few minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk the vanilla into the sugar mixture.  While the bear claw is still hot drizzle the glaze over the top making sure all of the top is covered.  Sprinkle with toasted almond slices.  Allow to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before removing springform.

Note: Make sure you pinch all the dough together on the top layer of biscuits.  I didn't make sure on one of them and it did lift off.