Bear Hugs (Bear Claws)

These yummy leavened dough Bear Hugs, stuffed with Almonds, Marzipan and Sultanas are my pacifist take on the American classic Bear Claws! For some reason when I think of Bear Claws I think of Twin Peaks, which is one of my all time favourite tv series and is something Kyle and I watched together when we first started dating. I think the Log Lady orders a Bear Claw in the diner which is probably why I associate them with the series!
Once again these are made with leavened puff pastry which is a bit fiddly to make but the results are well worth it! 
Makes 8
Ingredients:

Leavened Puff Pastry Dough:
3 Cups of Plain Flour
2/3 Cup of Sugar
1/2 Cup of Water
3/4 Cup of Soya Milk
2 Tbsp of Dried Yeast
1 Cup of Margarine
Plus extra flour for rolling

Filling: 
1 Cup of Marzipan
1/2 Cup of Flaked Almonds
1/2 Cup Sultanas
1/4 Cup of Almond Milk to seal the claws
Topping:
1/2 Cup of Icing Sugar
2 Tsp of Almond Milk
More Flaked Almonds for decoration

Tools:
5'' Saucer
Kitchen Scissors 

In a bowl add the yeast, water, soya milk and sugar. Allow the yeast to activate for 5 mins. Then add the flour and mix until combined. Flour your work surface and knead the dough for 5 mins. Then roll out the dough into a large rectangle add the cup of margarine to the middle of the dough and spread it thickly so it covers the middle third of your dough. Fold each side of the dough over the margarine, so there is one layer of dough on the bottom, a layer of margarine, then two layers of dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for an hour. 
Flour the surface again and roll out your chilled dough into a rectangle. Fold again in the same way as before, folding the two long slides into the middle.
Chill again for another hour and repeat this process a further 2 times before cling wrapping and leaving to rest in the fridge over night.
Pre heat your oven to 190c
Roll out your pastry and place the saucer in one corner and carefully cut around it. Repeat 8 times so that you have 8 circles of pastry.
In the middle of the pastry place a tsp of marzipan, a tsp of the flaked almonds and a tsp of sultanas. Fold over the pastry, sealing it with a little almond milk. You will now have a sweet pasty! Using a pair of kitchen scissors, gently cut slits in the pastry round the edge to create the 'toes' while being careful not to cut into your marzipan mixture as it will seep out during cooking! Place on a baking tray and bake for 20 mins at 190c. Remove when firm, puffed and golden brown. Allow to cool.
In a bowl mix the icing sugar and almond milk to form a thick but runny icing. Drizzle the icing all over the bear hugs. use a little bit of icing to stick on some extra slivered almonds to form the 'claws'! 
Eat your bear hugs with a big mug of hot chocolate! X