Showing posts with label braided. Show all posts
Showing posts with label braided. Show all posts

SANDRA’S ELEGANT APPLE-CRANBERRY BRAIDED PASTY

A light and flaky pastry that’s
easier to make than apple pie,
and it tastes 
incredibly delicious...
Servings: 8
Prep: 15 Mins.
Bake: 20 Mins.

INGREDIENTS

Pastry:
1 frozen sheet of puff pastry, thawed

Filling:
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
½ cup whole frozen cranberries
2 cups of finely cubed Fuji apples, peeled, cored
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Egg Wash:
1 large egg
½ tablespoon milk

Cream Cheese Icing:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
About 1 tablespoon milk (depending upon your desired consistency)

Topping:
2 tablespoons toasted almonds slices

METHOD:

Thaw a frozen puff pastry covered in parchment paper on the counter for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, add all the filling ingredients; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes while occasionally stirring. Let filling cool completely.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Set a baking sheet aside.

Whisk egg and milk in a small bowl, and set aside.

Toast the sliced almonds over medium heat, just until golden and fragrant for a couple of minutes, transfer to a ramekin, and set aside.

On a work surface lined with parchment paper, lightly dusted it with flour, carefully unfold the puff pastry. With a rolling pin, roll out the pastry to form a 12”x9” rectangle on top of parchment paper.  Add the filling down the center, leaving 1” of space at short ends.  Using a pastry cutter, gently cut slits along the long sides of the outer thirds of the pastry 1” apart, leaving ½” uncut closest to filling.  Beginning with the short end farthest from you, we’ll form the braid: Fold the half-inch edge of dough on the left over the filling. Then fold the first strip on the right over the filling at a 45-degree angle. 


Fold the first strip on the left over the filling at a 45-degree angle overlapping the first strip. Continue folding strips of dough from alternate sides (left, than right) to form a braided pattern. 


When you get to the end, fold the edge of the dough over the filling, tucking it under the braided strips. Lift the parchment paper with the prepared pastry onto the baking sheet.  Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the egg mixture completely over the braided pastry. 


Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, for about 20 minutes.


In the meantime, prepare the icing using a hand mixer to cream butter and cream cheese together in a small bowl until smooth. Add sifted confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and milk. Beat on slow until mixed, then on high until smooth.

Let pastry cool for 30 minutes before drizzling with cream cheese icing, and sprinkling with toasted almond slices.  Slice into 8 pieces, and serve. ~ Enjoy!

SANDRA'S APPLE WALNUT BRAIDED BREAD

What a delightful presentation this
braided apple walnut bread makes,
and it's a fun to prepare,
plus a to-die-for dessert...
Yields: (1 large braided loaf, or 2 small)

Posted: by Sandra

Prep: 15 mins. |
Raising time: Overnight, plus a couple hours |
Bake: 35 to 40 mins.

INGREDIENTS:

*** Yeast Sponge
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 cup warm milk
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

***Dough
2 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup sugar
2-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (plus a bit more if needed)
1 stick of butter, at room temp.

***Apple and Walnut filling
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
2 cups of fresh granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and cubed small
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons cornstarch

***Egg Wash
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
---plus: cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling on top

METHOD:

Mix the sugar, yeast, and flour together in a small bowl. Pour in the warm milk. Beat until smooth, then cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 1/2 hour.

Place the hook attachment on the stand mixer. Pour in sponge mixture into bowl of stand mixer. Add the eggs, salt, sugar, and one cup of the flour to the sponge. Beat until smooth on low speed until smooth. Then add the butter in small chunks and beat well. Add the remaining flour a handful at a time and mix in until the butter is incorporated. Knead on low speed for 5 minutes, until dough forms ball and is somewhat elastic.

Place the dough in a bowl sprayed with baking spray, rub around, and then flip over. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise and room temperature until doubled in size, 45 mins. to 1 hr. Deflate the dough, recover the bowl, and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, in a small pot, combine; butter, brown sugar, and chopped walnuts. Stir until combined. Add apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, vanilla, and cornstarch. Heat while stirring until filling thickens (apples will finish baking in oven). Let filling cool completely.

Combine the egg and milk in a bowl and beat until combined, and set aside.

Once filling has cooled, take the dough out of the refrigerator and gently deflate it. Divide it into two pieces. Use a rolling pin to shape each piece into a ½” thick rectangle.

Spread your fillings in the center of the dough.


At 45-degree angle, slice the sides of the dough into tabs approximately 1 inch wide. Alternating from side to side, fold the pieces in over the filling, and gently press on the tabs to seal the folds, and then tuck under ends for a smoother finish. Glaze the braid with egg wash. Cover loosely with plastic. Set aside to rise until doubled in size, approximately 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Just before placing the braid in the oven, glaze it again with remaining egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake on the center rack of the oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes, rotating it once after 20 minutes so that it bakes evenly. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for at least half an hour before slicing.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Variation:  Click here for recipe:  Blueberry Braided Bread Recipe

SANDRA'S BLUEBERRY BRAIDED BREAD

A very impressive presentation
that is actually simple to make, and a very
decadent treat...
Yields: (1 large braided loaf, or two small)

Posted: by Sandra
Prep: 15 mins. |
Raising time: Overnight, plus a couple hours |
Bake: 35 to 40 mins.

INGREDIENTS:

***Yeast Sponge
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 cup warm milk
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

***Dough
2 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup sugar
2-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (plus a bit more if needed)
1 stick of butter, at room temp.

***Blueberry Filling
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice

***Egg Wash
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk

***Cream Cheese Filling
3/4 cup cream cheese
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon egg wash

METHOD:

Mix the sugar, yeast, and flour together in a small bowl. Pour in the warm milk. Beat until smooth, then cover with plastic wrap and set aside for a 1/2 hour.

Place the hook attachment on the stand mixer. Pour in sponge mixture into bowl of stand mixer. Add the eggs, salt, sugar, and one cup of the flour to the sponge. Beat until smooth on low speed until smooth. Then add the butter in small chunks and beat well. Add the remaining flour a handful at a time and mix in until the butter is incorporated. Knead on low speed for 5 minutes, until dough forms ball and is somewhat elastic.

Place the dough in a bowl sprayed with baking spray, rub around, and then flip over. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise and room temperature until doubled in size, 45 mins. to 1 hr. Deflate the dough, recover the bowl, and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, combine all of the blueberry filling ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat while stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool.

Combine the egg and milk in a bowl and beat until combined, and set aside.

Combine all the cream cheese filling ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined.

Once blueberry filling has cooled, take the dough out of the refrigerator and gently deflate it. Divide it into two pieces. Use a rolling pin to shape each piece into a ½” thick rectangle.

Spread your fillings in the center of the dough (using this method as I did for the apple walnut version):



At 45-degree angle, slice the sides of the dough into tabs approximately 1 inch wide. Alternating from side to side, fold the pieces in over the filling, and gently press on the tabs to seal the folds, and then tuck under ends for a smoother finish. Glaze the braid with egg wash. Cover loosely with plastic. Set aside to rise until doubled in size, approximately 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Just before placing the braid in the oven, glaze it again with any remaining egg wash. Bake on the center rack of the oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes, rotating it once after 20 minutes so that it bakes evenly. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for at least half an hour before slicing.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Variation: Click here for: Apple Walnut Braided Bread Recipe

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