Blueberry Pastry Braid Recipes

Steps:

• Combine milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Add remaining sugar, butter, and eggs to the milk mixture. Stir until mostly combined, but it won't be smooth.
• Measure flour, cardamom, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer. Pour in wet ingredients and attach dough hook. Mix until dough comes together in a shaggy mass. Cover the stand mixer with a clean dish towel and let dough rest for 10 minutes.
• Uncover the dough and knead on medium speed until smooth, about 5 minutes. Continue to knead on low speed until dough is soft, elastic, and shiny, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the blueberry filling. Combine blueberries, sugar, and orange juice in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a low boil. Smash the blueberries with a potato masher. Continue to simmer until the mixture has thickened enough to spread, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in extracts. Chill until completely cool.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down and divide into 2 pieces. Roll 1 piece into a 9x18-inch rectangle, squaring off with a bench scraper as you roll to make it is as even as possible. Spread 1/2 of the blueberry filling over the dough, leaving about a 1-inch border. Roll up the dough into a tight roll, starting from the long edge closest to you. Pinch seams to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
• Place logs side by side on a lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for 1 hour.
• Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to each log in half, lengthwise, so you have 4 filled strips of dough on the baking sheet.
• Place 2 strips across each other to form a plus sign. Arrange the remaining 2 strips to form an interlocking cross. Fold the end of the strip closest to you over the strip to its right. Repeat 3 more times, moving clockwise. Fold remaining strips over to the left, moving counterclockwise. Repeat folding step until only short ends remain; join ends and tuck them carefully under the braid.
• Cover the braid and place in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) towards the end of the second rise.
• Beat egg with a pinch of salt and brush some over the braid. Sprinkle with pearl sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Using an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese and sour cream in a small bowl until fluffy. Add the granulated sugar and whip until well combined, making sure there are no lumps. Reserve for later use.
• Beat the egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl with a fork.
• Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured flat surface. Roll the pastry into a 14-by-12-inch rectangle. Spoon half of the cream cheese mixture lengthwise down the center of the pastry. Cut slits 1 inch apart from the 2 sides of the pastry rectangle within 1/2 inch of the cream cheese mixture. Arrange half of the strawberries down the center of the pastry on top of the cream cheese mixture. Starting at one end, fold the pastry strips over the strawberries on a diagonal, alternating sides, to cover the strawberries. Repeat the entire process with the remaining pastry sheet, cream cheese filling and strawberries. Brush the pastries very lightly with the egg wash (otherwise they won't rise). Sprinkle with the demerara sugar and top with pistachios.
• Bake until golden brown, 30 minutes. Let cool on a rack for about 20 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Combine milk, yeast and 1 tbsp sugar, mix in egg yolks and cream, set aside for 10 minutes.
• Blend flour, 1/4 cup sugar and salt in mixing bowl.
• Cut in butter until pieces are the size of small beans; pour yeast mixture over; fold just until ingredients are mixed; do not overstir or overmix.
• Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured board; divide into 3 portions.
• Dust each portion with flour; roll one at a time to make a rectangle 12 x 9 inches.
• With knife or pastry wheel make cuts 1 inch apart on diagonal almost to center-- leaving enough room to spread preserves.
• Spread 1/3 cup preserves down the center; criss cross strips over filling to make a braid.
• Repeat for the remaining 2 portions.
• Place on greased cookie sheet and let rise until almost doubled.
• Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes until golden.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar.