This Puff Pastry Braid is super easy to make! There are also so many variations you can try. Therefore, it’s sure to please everyone’s taste buds! One of my personal favorites is Blueberry! But there are several family members that prefer Cherry. You can also add Cream Cheese! Or not, depending on your personal preference! I think Cream Cheese Adds to the Deliciousness! You can add a glaze to top your braid, sprinkle with sugar, powdered sugar or just leave it naked!
PS – While we like this Puff Pastry Braid for Breakfast, it’s Wonderful for Dessert too! #FreshlyBaked
Ingredients:
- 1 Sheet Puff Pastry (thawed)
- 4-6 oz Softened Cream Cheese
- 1-2 Tbs Sugar (or sugar substitute)
- 1 Teas. Vanilla (if desired)
- ¾ Heaping Cup (6-7 oz.) Pie Filling (flavor of your choice) OR….
- 6-7 oz. Fresh Fruit (of your choice)
- 1 Egg beaten with 1 Tbs. water
** Special Note: 1- 20 oz. can of pie filling make 3 braids
Preheat oven for Your Puff Pastry Braid ~ 400*
Before rolling out the puff pastry, cut a piece of parchment paper to fit your baking sheet. If you roll the dough out on the parchment paper, it’s easy to transfer your pastry straight to the baking sheet. And the parchment paper acts as a measurement! We roll out the dough to just under 15×10.
Now cut diagonal strips 1/3 down each side of your dough. Just like the picture.
Once your dough is cut, whip the egg & water & brush over the pastry dough. This makes for a flaky pastry! YUM! Set aside the remaining egg wash to brush on the outside of the pastry before baking.
Then IF you are going to add cream cheese to your pastry…….. (Because it can be all about the fruit. But trust me, it is super yummy when you add cream cheese!)
Whip the softened cream cheese and sugar together.
So, if you Love Cream Cheese, I would suggest using the entire 6 oz. But if you are not sure about how much Cream Cheese you like, only use 4 oz. The same goes for adding Sugar to your Cream Cheese. The Pie Filling is already sweet, so the Cream Cheese doesn’t need much sweetening. You could even leave out the sugar altogether. If you want the extra flavor to add the teaspoon of Vanilla to the Cream Cheese Sugar mix.
If you are watching your sugar intake, a Sugar-Free or No Sugar added pie filling is another alternative. A sugar substitute like Splenda could be added to the cream cheese for sweetening instead.
Yummy Inside Puff Pastry Braid
Now, for the insides! Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese down the middle 1/3 of the pastry, then the pie filling then more cream cheese on top. Gently braid the dough over the top of the filling, alternating sides. When you get to the end, there should be 1 to 2 strips of dough leftover. You can either cut it off & discard or just tuck it in.
Don’t forget to Brush your masterpiece with the Egg Wash before putting it in the oven! #FreshlyBaked
Bake for about 20-24 minutes until golden brown. An added topping idea is Sliced Almonds! Almond slices can be sprinkled on the top of your braid before going into the oven. They come out so nice & toasted.
Topping Your Puff Pastry Braid
You can always add a glaze to your Puff Pastry Braid in addition to the toasted almonds. Or, you could sprinkle granulated or powdered sugar over the top. Of course, it is delicious without any additions!
Glaze Ingredients:
- ½ Cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 Tbs. Milk
- 1 Teas Vanilla
Mix & Drizzle over Braid
Alternative Flavors:
Any Fresh Fruit is delicious whether you add cream cheese or not. Fresh Peaches with Brown Sugar & a little Cinnamon is also marvelous. Apple Pie Filling makes a wonderful after-dinner treat with Ice Cream on top! If you’ve got the Grandkids coming over, try this recipe with Strawberry Jam & Peanut butter in place of the Cream Cheese. Another kid-approved alternative is Nutella with Bananas! Then drizzle Chocolate syrup over the top! This is always greeted with pleasure & Rave Reviews!
If we aren’t making a Blueberries n’ Cream Braid, the next best favorite is Strawberries n’ Cream! But Fresh right-out-of-the-garden Strawberries are the Bomb!
Now, if you are relaxing with this as a Dessert, you need a little Free Fine Wine to complement those berries! We find a glass of Sparkling Free Fine Wine that brings out the flavor of any berry! You too can earn your way to Free Fine Wine. THIS Page will explain more in detail….
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If you want to see the list of other recipes, GO Here.……..
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