[vidarh]

But it's the opposite, usually. A lot of Scandinavian pastry is not particularly sweet, whereas the fruit in British pastry tends to be drowning in sugar.

There are some very sweet Scandinavian pastry, but I don't think they're particularly prevalent, and frankly many of the sweetest ones - including the Danish itself - are not of Scandinavian origin. What is today considered a Danish came in an earlier form from Austria; in Scandinavia they are known - with some spelling variations - as wienerbrød; literally "bread from Vienna" though the modern Danish is an adaptation more than straight "theft". Puff pastry in general is not typical of Scandinavian pastry, but probably arrived with the Austrian bakers that brought the basis for wienerbrød/Danish

And I guess the sweetness is probably the reason - more need for conservation. A lot of older Scandinavian baked goods are dry and can last for years in some cases, but the creamier ones may very well largely be new enough for many of them to have come at a time when at least the wealthier people who could afford them would have started having at least ice boxes to refrigerate foodstuffs.

[Accacin]

To be honest I can't even think of many British pastries off the top of my head as I'm not a huge fan so I'm not sure which ones you're refering too.

I mean they may not be Danish, but that's what they're called colloquially. I tend to find French pastries the best as I don't find them too sweet.