Dissolve the yeast in water, then stir in the 1/4 cup sugar, the egg yolks (save the whites for the filling), salt, evaporated milk, and cooled butter.

Melt butter and then let cool to room temp.

Subscribe and I'll send all my recipes right to your inbox! You can also keep up to date by following me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #lovelylittlekitchen Can't get enough? Please let me know if you do! Did you make this recipe? If you are looking for something truly special to try this Christmas, I hope you’ll give these a go. Right here and now, I promise not to post any other recipes that require the use of a yardstick. It helps not only to measure as you go as the recipe calls for very specific dimensions, but also to use the edge of the yardstick to even out the edge of the dough.Įven though this recipe is very specific and takes a bit of planning and concentration, it is so worth it! My mom and aunt were laughing about the yardstick because they only get it out once a year to make bear claws. You will also be glad if you have a yardstick handy. The dough and filling are both made the day before – and that chilling time is necessary to make the dough workable.

I’ve always wanted to take good pictures of the process that goes into making them, and so this year I finally made sure to take some pics as my aunt rolled out the dough, cut it into strips, added the filling, and shaped them into bear claws. The recipe was first made by my aunt – she clipped it out of a Sunset Magazine in the late 1970’s. They are loved by most, and in our family, if you don’t LOVE them, you’d best not take one because the people who do LOVE them only want them to be eaten by those who totally understand their wonder! Like that freezer time never even happened. We thaw them overnight and then put them on a baking sheet covered with foil, and then warm them up in a 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes. We bake them a couple of weeks before Christmas and then freeze them to serve with our traditional Day After Christmas Breakfast. I like these as much as my Overnight Cinnamon Rolls, and that’s a whole lot! They are a lovely, tender pastry with a sweet almond filling inside. My favorite thing we make is these Buttery Almond Bear Claws. This year, my mom, sister, and aunt came over and kept the tradition going. Depending on who’s in town, and who’s living where, it may be a whole bunch of us or it might be just a few. One of my favorite Christmas traditions is setting aside a whole morning to bake with the women in my family.

Bear claw pastry