Almond Filled Braid Food

DELICIOUS ALMOND BRAIDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Place the almond paste, butter and sugar in a food processor; cover and pulse until chopped. Add egg and flour; process until smooth., Place puff pastry sheets onto a greased baking sheet. Spread half of the filling mixture down the center third of 1 pastry sheet. On each side, cut 8 strips about 3-1/2 in. into the center. Starting at 1 end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling. Pinch ends to seal. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling., Bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely., Combine the confectioners' sugar, milk and almond extract. Drizzle over braids; sprinkle with almonds. Cut into slices to serve.

ALMOND DANISH BRAID

Steps:

• Thaw puff pastry dough as directed on package. This should take about 30-40 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray.
• Open puff pastry sheet on a wooden cutting board and lay flat.
• Using a pizza cutter, cut 2" long strips on either side of center, making them about 1" wide. You should have 8 or 9 strips on each side when done.
• Remove the strips on each corner, leaving the center intact to fold over filling.
• Brush melted butter on center of dough.
• Top butter with 1/2 can almond filling and spread evenly.
• Beginning at one end, fold over center flap to cover filling.
• Fold over the top strip at a slight angle. Repeat with opposite side. Proceed with remaining strips until you reach the bottom set of strips.
• Fold over the center flap on the bottom then fold over the last two strips.
• Using a large spatula, move braid to cookie sheet.
• Repeat with remaining puff pastry and filling to make second braid.
• Whisk egg in a small bowl and brush on top of braids.
• Bake in oven for 20 minutes.
• While pastry is baking, mix all ingredients for almond or vanilla icing together. Add more confectioner's sugar if you need to thicken it or more cream if it needs to be thinner. It should be a good consistency to drizzle over braid.
• Remove cookie sheets to wire rack and immediately drizzle icing over braids. Sprinkle on sliced almonds.
• Makes 2 braids.

ALMOND BRAID

Steps:

• Add yeast and warm water to the bowl of the mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Let stand for a few minutes to dissolve the yeast.
• Add sugar, milk, butter and egg yolks and mix on low speed.
• Gradually add in the flour. Do not over mix. The dough should be buttery and slightly sticky to the touch, but manageable.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and knead a few times until smooth on a floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8-12 hours.
• Add butter, almond paste, and egg white to the bowl of the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until smooth.
• Then add powdered sugar and flour and mix on low speed.
• Lastly, mix in the chopped almonds until well incorporated. Cover and chill until ready to assemble.
• Unwrap the dough and place it on a well-floured surface. Shape it into a rough rectangle with your hands, and then roll out into a 12-inch by 15-inch rectangle. Be patient as you roll, checking to see if the dough is sticking to the work surface and adding flour as needed.
• Trim the uneven edges with a sharp knife.
• Spoon the almond filling into the center third of the rectangle, and then pat it into an even layer.
• Use a sharp knife to cut one-inch diagonal strips in the dough from the edge of the dough to the edge of the filling.
• Fold the top and bottom edge of the dough over the filling, and then alternate folding over the strips on each side.
• Let the almond braid rise, covered with a clean kitchen towel in a warm place for 30 minutes.
• Then preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and brush the top of the almond braid with the remaining egg white and sprinkle sliced almonds over the top.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top of the almond braid is golden brown.
• To make the glaze, whisk powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract together in a small bowl until smooth.
• Transfer the almond braid to a cooling rack and allow to cool before drizzling with almond glaze. Slice and serve.

ALMOND FILLED BRAID

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water.
• Mix together milk, sugar, and salt, and add to yeast mixture.
• Stir in butter and eggs.
• Add 1/2 Celsius flour and beat well.
• Add enough of remaining flour to handle easily and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Place in a greased bowl and turn once.
• Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch down and let rise again until almost double, about 30 minutes.
• Roll into a 8 by 14 inch rectangle and place on a greased baking sheet.
• Spread almond filling down the center of the dough about 2-3 inches wide.
• On both sides of filling make 1 1/2-2 inch cuts one inch apart down the length of the rectangle.
• Take one strip at a time and alternating sides cross them at the center of the filling.
• Bake at 350 F until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
• If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

ALMOND EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in the warm water in a 1-cup measuring cup, and sprinkle with the yeast. Stir to mix the yeast into the water, and let stand in a warm place until frothy and doubled in volume, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir together 1/3 cup of sugar, 2 raw eggs, salt, the yeast mixture, milk, and 3 cups of flour in a large bowl, and beat with an electric mixer for 3 minutes to develop gluten. Mix the remaining flour into the batter, and beat until the dough is shiny, soft, and elastic, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Place sticks of butter 1 inch apart between 2 large pieces of waxed paper. Roll the butter out into a square about 12 inches on a side, place the waxed paper with square of butter onto a baking sheet, and freeze for 15 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface, turn the dough around to pick up flour on all sides, and sprinkle the dough with flour. Roll the dough out into a rectangle 18 inches square. Brush off excess flour from the dough, if necessary. Peel off the top layer of waxed paper from the butter square. Place the square of cold butter, remaining waxed-paper side up, catty-corner onto the dough rectangle so the corners of the dough extend out beyond the butter. Peel off the remaining waxed paper. Fold the top and bottom points over the butter, meeting in the middle; fold the left and right points over the butter. Pinch the sides and seams of the dough together to enclose the butter in the dough.
• Roll the flat dough envelope filled with butter, seam side down, out on the floured surface to a rectangle 12 by 24 inches, and fold the dough in half (into a 12x12 inch square), then in half again, to make a 6x12 inch square of dough with four butter layers. Chill the dough for about 5 minutes; then roll the dough out again to a 12 by 24-inch rectangle, and fold in quarters as before; chill, repeat rolling and folding the dough one more time. Refrigerate dough at least 1 more hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cut the dough into two pieces (you will see buttery layers). On a well-floured surface, roll out a dough piece into a rectangle 30 by 9 inches; cut the rectangle into 3 long strips, 30 by 3 inches each. Mix almond filling, 1/2 cup of butter, and 1/2 cup of sugar together in a bowl, and spread half the filling mixture all down the center of the 3 strips. Fold the strips over the filling the long way and pinch the edges closed, enclosing the filling in 3 long ropes. Braid the 3 ropes together, and arrange the braid into a ring. Pinch the ends closed. Repeat for 2nd dough piece and remaining half of filling, making two ring-shaped braided pastries.
• Place the pastries onto the lined baking sheets, reforming into symmetrical rings if necessary. Set 3 hard-cooked Easter eggs, wedged between braids, into top of each braided pastry. Brush pastries, eggs and all, with beaten egg; sprinkle with additional white sugar and sliced almonds.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned and crisp, 40 to 45 minutes.

ALMOND CINNAMON BRAID

Steps:

• Line a 15x10x1" baking pan with parchment paper.
• Unroll crescent dough into prepared pan; seal seams and perforations.
• Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over dough.
• Combine the almonds, butter, extract and remaining sugar; spread lengthwise down the center of the dough.
• On each long side, cut 1-inch wide strips about 2.5 inches into center.
• Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling and then pinch ends to seal.
• Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool for 10 minutes and remove to a wire rack.
• For icing: in a bowl, combine confectioner's sugar, extract and enough milk to achieve a smooth consistency.
• Drizzle over braid and then sprinkle with cinnamon.
• Serve warm.

PEAR AND ALMOND DANISH BRAID

Steps:

• To prepare the pear filling, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Add the pears and cook, gently stirring occasionally, until they are tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer the pears to a plate and let the mixture cool completely.
• Use a coffee grinder to blend the almonds to a fine meal. Transfer the almond meal to a medium bowl. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, the confectioners' sugar, egg yolk and almond extract. Mash the mixture into a paste with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon.
• On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll the dough into an 11-by-14-inch rectangle. Arrange so a short side is facing you. With a bench scraper or the backside of a knife, very lightly mark off a 3-inch section lengthwise down the center of the dough. (Don't cut through the dough, you're just creating a guide for yourself.) Cut 1-inch strips perpendicular to the lengthwise guidelines, on either side of the 3-inch section. (These strips will be folded up to become the braided top.) Cut off the top and bottom corner strips, leaving the center flap.
• Spread the almond mixture down the 3-inch section of the pastry, leaving about an 1/8-inch border on all sides. Top evenly with the pear mixture, leaving any accumulated liquid on the plate.
• Beat the egg in a small bowl. Very lightly, brush a 1-inch border around the edges of the pastry with some of the beaten egg. (You'll be brushing the pastry that's been cut into strips, and the two end flaps.)
• Fold up the top and bottom ends of the center section to create a barrier for the filling. Starting at the top, fold each strip in at a slightly downward angle over the filling, alternating from left to right. Make sure the strips are overlapping by about 1/2 inch so they don't open up while baking. Using the parchment, move the filled pastry onto a rimmed baking sheet.
• Cover the pastry loosely with plastic wrap and let rest until slightly puffed, about 1 hour. Note the thickness of the strips when you first set it aside and use their growth as a guide. It's ready when the dough bounces back slowly when pressed lightly. (If it bounces back too fast, it hasn't risen enough; if it doesn't bounce back at all, it's gone too far.) While dough is rising, heat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Gently brush the top and sides of the pastry with some of the remaining beaten egg. Bake for 10 minutes then turn the pan and reduce the heat to 375 degrees. Bake until deep golden brown and puffed, 10 to 15 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, make the apricot glaze if desired. Heat the apricot jam in a small saucepan, stirring, until loose. Strain the jam through a mesh sieve into a small bowl; discard the solids. Brush a thin coat of apricot glaze over the warm pastry. Let cool slightly before serving.