Sweet Nutcracker Braid Food

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.

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.

"NUTCRACKER" MIXED-NUT BRITTLE IN THE MICROWAVE

Steps:

• Butter a 10x15-inch baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
• Spray a heatproof spoon with cooking spray. Stir sugar and corn syrup together in a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl using the greased spoon. Microwave on high until very bubbly, 2 1/2 to 4 minutes.
• Quickly stir in nuts and butter. Continue microwaving until bubbles begin to take on a light caramel color, another 2 1/2 to 4 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure the nuts don't burn. Add vanilla extract and baking soda, stirring quickly until bubbly and combined.
• Immediately pour mixture onto the prepared sheet pan in a thin layer. Sprinkle with sea salt. Allow to cool and set before breaking into pieces, 30 to 40 minutes.

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.

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.

NUTCRACKER SWEETS RECIPE - (5/5)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Grease 15 x 10-inch baking pan with Butter Flavor Crisco(r). Set aside. *For Base:* Cream Butter Flavor Crisco(r) and peanut butter in large bowl at medium speed of electric mixer. Blend in brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat until creamy Combine flour baking powder and salt in small bowl. Set aside. Combine milk and vanilla in measuring cup. Add dry ingredients and milk alternately to creamed mixture. Mix at low speed of electric mixer. Scrape sides of bowl frequently. Beat until blended. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350F degrees for 18 - 20 minutes. Cool. *For Frosting:* Cream Butter Flavor Crisco(r) and peanut butter in large bowl at medium speed of electric mixer. Add sugar and milk. Beat until fluffy. Spread on cooled cookie base. *For Drizzle:* Melt chocolate pieces on very low heat in small saucepan. Drizzle chocolate from end of spoon back and forth over frosting. Cut into 2-inch squares. Refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes until chocolate is firm.