Honey-Drizzled Cranberry Brie Pastry Braid
Honey-Drizzled Cranberry Brie Pastry Braid

5 from 1 reviews
Honey-Drizzled Cranberry Brie Pastry Braid
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Toast pecans for this recipe by baking them on a baking sheet for 4-6 minutes at 350 degrees F, tossing occasionally, until fragrant. If you wish, you can prepare this braid in advance: just complete all steps to assemble the braid, cover it with plastic wrap on the parchment-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate overnight. Set it out on the counter in the morning as the oven preheats, egg wash it, and then bake as usual. I included some photos below that show the process of marking and assembling a Raspberry Almond Braid. It’s super easy to do, but a little fiddly to explain in just words, so hopefully the photos will help.
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
Filling Ingredients:
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 3 tablespoons orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
Braid Ingredients:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
  • 3 ounces cream cheese, cold and cut into cubes
  • 1/2 cup milk, minus 1/2 teaspoon
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 egg whisked with 1 teaspoon of water for egg wash
  • 8 ounces cold Brie cheese
  • 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans, plus extra for topping
  • extra honey (for “glaze”)
Instructions
  1. Make the cranberry sauce: Bring cranberries, orange juice, water, honey, cinnamon, and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the cranberries break down and the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Allow this to cool. I set mine in the fridge to chill after a few minutes.
  2. Make pastry braid: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In the bowl of a food processor, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the cream cheese and butter into the flour mixture and pulse to cut the fat into the flour (about 6 pulses). Add the milk and almond extract and blend until it’s just starting to come together into a loose dough.
  3. Turn the dough out onto a big sheet of lightly-floured parchment paper and knead each very lightly for just 4-5 strokes (be careful not to overwork the dough or it’ll be tough! Don’t worry about getting it smooth — just knead for these few strokes and let it stay a little rough.)
  4. Very lightly flour the top of the dough and place another sheet of parchment paper on top. Between two sheets of parchment paper, roll the dough to an 10- by 12-inch rectangle (I lift the paper off every now and then and flip the dough and repeat on the other side, to ensure the dough isn’t sticking). Remove the top sheet of parchment and discard. Measure and mark the dough lengthwise into thirds. Fill the middle third with slices of brie. Top these with your chilled cranberry sauce and toasted pecans.
  5. Continue assembling the braid: (Remember, there are photos below to help visualize this step!) Make diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals on each the long sides. Do not cut into the center filling area. Fold strips, first one from one side and then one from the other side in an alternating fashion, over the filling. It will now resemble a braid. Use the sheet of parchment to carefully transfer your braid to a baking sheet. At this point you can cover and refrigerate the braid overnight, or you can continue to the next step.
  6. Bake the braid: Brush the pastry braid with the egg wash mixture. Bake in the 425 degree oven for 14-17 minutes, until the dough is cooked through and the filling is bubbly. Don’t worry if some oozes out. Let the braid cool for 30 minutes before generously drizzling honey over top, sprinkling some extra pecans, slicing, and serving.

 



Example of how to cut and assemble braid.

17 Comments on Honey-Drizzled Cranberry Brie Pastry Braid

  1. Jessica @ Sweet Menu
    December 29, 2014 at 10:56 pm (9 years ago)

    What a beautiful pastry braid! And such a sweet story.

    Reply
  2. Jocelyn @BruCrew Life
    December 30, 2014 at 7:41 am (9 years ago)

    What a great reminder to always be mindful of how we treat others, even when they don’t “fit” our way of thinking. And this braid is gorgeous. I am a total brie and fruit freak…so I am now craving it all over again!

    Reply
  3. Lynn @ Order in the Kitchen
    December 30, 2014 at 9:41 am (9 years ago)

    I absolutely love this braided pastry but I also loved that touching story! Great reminder for us to all think about coming up on 2015. Thank you!!

    Reply
  4. kita
    December 30, 2014 at 1:02 pm (9 years ago)

    My gosh this looks like the perfect year end dessert! Handsome and delicious

    Reply
  5. Foodiewife
    December 30, 2014 at 1:54 pm (9 years ago)

    On my bucket list is to learn how to braid this kind of pastry. Yours is spectacular, Julie. Your “how to” photos are perfect, and have given me the confident that I can do this. What a beautiful presentation this would make for a party. I’m so there! Happy New Year, and I look forward to all the new recipes and stories you have to share.

    Reply
  6. Carrie D.
    December 30, 2014 at 2:07 pm (9 years ago)

    My hubby bought be a shiny, new food processor for Christmas. I think I just found my first recipe to test it out!

    Reply
  7. Stephanie Serleth
    December 30, 2014 at 6:15 pm (9 years ago)

    I am going to try this! It looks fantastic. Thank you for making your recipes printable with a click!

    Reply
  8. Liren
    December 31, 2014 at 1:32 am (9 years ago)

    Julie, I first saw this sneak peek on IG and was rewarded with not just a mouthwatering recipe, but a wonderful story and life lesson. I remember those tricky adolescent days well, and I revisit them every day with my daughter now. I feel there is always a lesson to learn when it comes to friendship and how to be a good friend! I just hope she learns it well.

    Reply
  9. Glenda
    January 8, 2015 at 12:28 am (9 years ago)

    Wow! That looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing the recipe. I’m anxious to give it a try!

    Reply
  10. Laura
    January 8, 2015 at 1:31 am (9 years ago)

    I have no idea why I should have such a reaction to your story other than I am a mom and moms get emotional sometimes, but I am the mom of a fourth grader and that really made me tear up. And thank goodness you had a good time at the sleepover!–I was worried it was going to end badly lol. I think it is hard to make new friends at that age–my daughters are in 2nd and 4th grades, and I have definitely seen more hunkering down with the friends you already have if that makes sense as they get older.

    The bread is gorgeous–but the story was even better.

    Reply
  11. Susan@LunaCafe
    January 8, 2015 at 5:41 am (9 years ago)

    What a lovely post. Exclusion begins so early, especially with girls it seems. I notice it at my favorite 4-year-old’s preschool. A few of the more outgoing girls have bonded and purposely leave out one of the shyer girls. So we’re talking about kindness and inclusion even at this young age. Love this bread, riding the line between sweet and savory. Genius! 🙂

    Reply
  12. heather @french press
    January 8, 2015 at 10:39 am (9 years ago)

    a delicious appetizer and a life lesson 🙂 both were wonderful, thanks for sharing

    Reply
  13. Kimberly Ann @ Bake Love Give
    January 8, 2015 at 1:03 pm (9 years ago)

    What a lovely flavor combination. I adore bringing them all together in this gorgeous braid!

    Reply
  14. M.
    January 9, 2015 at 1:03 pm (9 years ago)

    Julie, your recipes draw me to your blog; your reminiscences keep me reading. This was a heart-touching story. Sigh. Now it’s time to go bake this amazing braid. Thank you for the recipes; thank you for your stories/insights. Have a lovely weekend and God bless.

    Reply
  15. Pam
    February 27, 2015 at 4:08 pm (9 years ago)

    Really enjoyed reading your post. The picture of this fantastic bread drew me in and reading about lessons learned in how to be a friend was bonus. Thanks! Now I wonder, would I be able to make an acceptable gluten free version of this bread? Has anyone tried it? I’ve got a pretty decent flour mix I use for baking so I may give this a whirl.

    Reply

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