Bear Claws, Pittsburgh Style!

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

Ingredients

• 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 (1/4 ounce) 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 lemon rind
• 1 egg yolk, combined with 2 tablespoons water

Recipe

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