Sweet Nutcracker Braid Recipes

SWEET NUTCRACKER BRAID

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray large cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In small bowl, combine 2/3 cup pecans, dates, raisins, sugar and cinnamon; mix well.
• Unfold puff pastry; place on sprayed cookie sheet. Roll to form 14x10-inch rectangle. Spread preserves in 4-inch-wide strip lengthwise down center of pastry. Sprinkle fruit and nut mixture over preserves.
• With scissors or sharp knife, make cuts 1 inch apart on long sides of pastry to within 1/2 inch of filling. Fold strips at an angle across filling mixture, overlapping ends and alternating from side to side.
• Bake at 375°F. for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet; place on serving platter. Cool 15 minutes.
• In small bowl, blend powdered sugar, vanilla and enough milk for desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled braid. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup pecans.

SWEET BRAIDED BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water in a small bowl. Beat eggs and egg yolk together in a small bowl. Scoop out 2 tablespoons of beaten egg; keep refrigerated.
• Preheat the oven to 170 degrees F (75 degrees C).
• Combine sugar, margarine, and salt in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly until dissolved. Add warm and cool cream to the bowl. Stir in yeast mixture. Beat in eggs. Add flour 1 cup at a time, blending well between additions.
• Turn dough out onto a floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Spray a clean bowl with cooking spray. Place dough inside and spray the top.
• Cover dough with a dish cloth. Turn off oven and place dough inside. Allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Remove dough from the bowl and knead for 2 to 3 minutes. Split in half; split each half into thirds. Roll each section of dough into long, 24-inch snakes. Braid 3 together, making sure to secure the ends. Repeat with the remaining 3 sections.
• Reheat the oven to 170 degrees F (75 degrees C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Transfer braids to the cookie sheet.
• Turn off oven. Let braids rise in the warm oven for 45 minutes.
• Remove braids from the oven and brush with reserved beaten egg. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake braids in the preheated oven until tops are golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.

BEST BASIC SWEET BREAD

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, sugar and butter. Heat until slightly warm to the touch then remove from heat and stir in the yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Mix in the eggs, oil and the yeast mixture. Mix until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Grease a large bowl with 1 tablespoon of oil. Place the dough into the bowl and turn once to coat. Cover and let stand in a warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.
• Use remaining oil to grease a cookie sheet or 9x13 inch pan. For plain rolls, punch down dough and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into balls and place them into the greased pan side by side. Let dough rise for 20 to 25 minutes, or until almost double. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until rolls are golden brown.

THE NUTCRACKER "SWEET"

Steps:

• For the caramel nut pies: Roll dough to 1/4-inch and fit into 4 small flan rings and chill. Combine sugar with enough water to cover in saucepan and place over high heat. Cook sugar to caramel stage (a maple syrup color). Carefully add glucose, cream, milk, salt and walnuts to caramel mixture. Cook the mixture, while stirring, until it is thick like pancake batter. Let the mixture cool. Spread the cooled mixture into the bottom of chilled tartlet shells. Pipe or spread creme d'amandes over the caramel. Bake tarts in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until evenly browned on top. Allow tarts to cool, cut into 4-inch slices and finish with sweetened whipped cream before service.
• For the Chocolate Espresso Bonbons: Put the chocolate into a work bowl. Dry roast the espresso beans in a saute pan over a medium flame until a strong coffee aroma is present. Coarsely crush the beans on a cutting board with the bottom of a pan. Make an infusion with the hot espresso beans and cream. Allow the mixture to steep for at least 30 minutes. Strain the cream into a clean pan. Bring the infused cream to a boil and pour over the chocolate. Gently stir the ganache until the chocolate is incorporated. Let cool slightly. Stir in the coffee liqueur, salt and softened butter. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally. Line coffee cup bonbon molds with tempered chocolate, tapping to make sure molds are lined and have no air bubbles. Once chocolate is set, fill molds with espresso ganache leaving room to seal molds. Seal molds with tempered chocolate, allow to set and remove from molds. Finish bonbon cups with a swirl of mascarpone cream "froth" and dust with cocoa.
• Sift flour and salt together and set aside. Place the butter in a mixer and beat until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten egg, beating until just incorporated. Add flour mixture all at once until it forms a ball. Fatten dough into a disk and chill.
• In a mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and almond paste until light and fluffy and smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, incorporating fully. Add pastry cream powder or cornstarch and mix to combine. Add rum and brandy.
• Blend ingredients together and fit into pastry bag for easy piping.

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.

NUTCRACKER SWEETS

Steps:

• Lightly butter a shallow baking pan (15"x10") with 1" sides.
• Stir together the popcorn, nuts and melted butter and sprinkle lightly with the salt.
• Spread this mixture in the buttered pan.
• Combine the sugar, butter and corn syrup bringing to a boil, stirring constantly, over a medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes until it turns a light caramel color.
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
• Pour over the popcorn and nuts and toss to coat.
• Spread the mixture out to cool and harden.
• Break apart after hardened and store in loosely covered container.
• Eat at home for a snack and/or give some to a friend as a holiday treat.

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.