Braided Sweetheart Cookies Recipes

BRAIDED SWEETHEART COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. , Divide dough in half; tint one portion pink, leaving the remaining portion white. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. , For each cookie, shape a 1-in. ball of each color into an 8-in. rope. Place a pink and white rope side-by-side; press together gently and twist. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets; shape into a heart and pinch ends to seal. , Bake at 350° for 8-11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

SWEETHEART COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolk; mix well. Stir in the flour by hand. On a lightly floured surface, gently knead dough for 2-3 minutes or until thoroughly combined. , Roll into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indention in the center of each. Fill each with 1/4 teaspoon preserves. , Bake for 13-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks. Dust warm cookies with confectioners' sugar if desired. Cool.

BRAIDED GREEK SWEET BREAD (TSOUREKI)

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium low heat add the butter, the sugar and the milk. Cook for a few minutes, until the butter is melted. Add the zests, remove from heat and let the mixture cool slightly. Add the orange juice.
• In a glass measuring cup, mix the warm water, the sugar and the yeast. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes, until it bubbles and the yeast is activated.
• Beat the three eggs and add them to the reserved butter/milk mixture.
• Sift the flour, mahlepi and mastic and place in the bowl of a stand mixer. To the dry ingredients, add the reserved butter/milk mixture and the yeast mixture. Mix to form a soft and pliable dough, adjusting the flour as necessary. Rub the surface with the oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise for two hours.
• Punch the dough down and divide it into four equal portions. Divide each portion into three balls. Cover the rest and work with three balls at a time: Roll each ball into a 10"-12" long log. Pinch the top ends of the logs together and then braid the logs. When you get to the end, pinch the bottom ends together. Tuck the top and bottom ends underneath the dough. Place braided loaf on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat steps with the remaining dough. Let the bread rise at room temperature for half an hour.
• Pre-heat oven to 350° F. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining egg and milk. Brush the tops of the loaves with the egg/milk mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds or sliced almonds. Bake (in batches) for 20-25 minutes. Allow the bread to cool completely before serving.

BRAIDED SWEETHEART COOKIES

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Divide dough in half; tint one portion pink, leaving the remaining portion white. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. For each cookie, shape a 1-in. ball of each color into an 8-in. rope. Place a pink and white rope side-by-side; press together gently and twist. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets; shape into a heart and pinch ends to seal. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

BRAIDED SWEETHEART COOKIES

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Divide dough in half; tint one portion pink, leaving the remaining portion white. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. For each cookie, shape a 1-in. ball of each color into an 8-in. rope. Place a pink and white rope side-by-side; press together gently and twist. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets; shape into a heart and pinch ends to seal. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

CARAMEL BRAID (SWEET BREAD)

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water. Sprinkle in sugar and stir. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.
• Heat milk, butter, sugar, and salt in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Milk mixture should be luke warm, not hot. Let it cool down if its too hot.
• Pour 1 C of the flour into a mixing bowl. Pour the milk mixture into the flour and stir.
• Add another cup of flour and stir. Add eggs and stir, then yeast and stir.
• Gradually add the rest of the flour, kneading the dough inside the bowl. Add more flour depending on the consistency, so its not sticky and dough pulls away from the bowl.
• Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for a half hour.
• While its rising mix all the ingredients for the filling, adding the butter last.
• After the dough has risen, beat it down. Knead for a few minutes on a floured surface.
• Roll it out into a 12 x 18 rectangle.
• Cut into 3 vertical strips, 4 inches wide each. You want long strips.
• Spread filling evenly over dough with the back of a spoon. Roll each strip into a roll, overlapping the edges and pinching them shut.
• Place on a greased jelly roll pan. Gently braid, tucking the ends underneath. Try to braid quickly so the dough doesn't stretch.
• Cover with a towel and let rise for a half hour in a warm palce.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 to 30 minute Bread should be browned and sound hollow when patted. Let cool on a rack. Take it off the pan with a spatula on each side so it doesn't fall apart.
• While the bread is cooling, make the glaze. Heat butter over medium heat until lightly brown, remove from heat.
• Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla.
• Stir in milk, one tsp at a time.
• Place bread on foil or board when cool. Drizzle bread with warm glaze. Let glaze harden before wrapping foil around bread if giving as a gift.

BRAIDED SWEET BREAD

Steps:

• Mix together water, warm milk, and yeast.
• Add melted margarine, sugar, salt and flour.
• Knead dough, place in bowl, cover and let rise in warm place 1 hour.
• Divide dough into 6 parts.
• Shape dough into 6 long pieces (length of baking sheet).
• On baking sheet, braid 3 of the pieces together like you would hair, then braid remaining 3 pieces together.
• Cover and let raise 1 more hour.
• Brush beaten egg on top and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.