Sweet Nutcracker Braid Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water in a small bowl. Beat eggs and egg yolk together in a small bowl. Scoop out 2 tablespoons of beaten egg; keep refrigerated.
• Preheat the oven to 170 degrees F (75 degrees C).
• Combine sugar, margarine, and salt in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly until dissolved. Add warm and cool cream to the bowl. Stir in yeast mixture. Beat in eggs. Add flour 1 cup at a time, blending well between additions.
• Turn dough out onto a floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Spray a clean bowl with cooking spray. Place dough inside and spray the top.
• Cover dough with a dish cloth. Turn off oven and place dough inside. Allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Remove dough from the bowl and knead for 2 to 3 minutes. Split in half; split each half into thirds. Roll each section of dough into long, 24-inch snakes. Braid 3 together, making sure to secure the ends. Repeat with the remaining 3 sections.
• Reheat the oven to 170 degrees F (75 degrees C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Transfer braids to the cookie sheet.
• Turn off oven. Let braids rise in the warm oven for 45 minutes.
• Remove braids from the oven and brush with reserved beaten egg. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake braids in the preheated oven until tops are golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment.
• Lay out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Imagine the pastry has 3 equal sections. Add the hazelnut spread to the center section and, using a knife, cover the center section with the spread, leaving a 1/2-inch border at the top and bottom. Sprinkle the peanuts over the chocolate hazelnut spread.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the 2 outside sections into six 1-inch horizontal strips just to the center section.
• Fold the 1/2-inch borders at the top and bottom inwards, over the edges of the chocolate filling. Next, starting at one end, begin folding the pastry strips over the filling, alternating the sides to create a braid appearance. Put the braid on the parchment-lined sheet pan.
• Brush the pastry braid with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the sea salt. Bake until golden and cooked through, 28 to 30 minutes.
• While the pastry bakes, make the icing by whisking the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk in a bowl until smooth. Set aside.
• Allow the pastry to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle over the icing, slice and serve.

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.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°.
• Grease bottom only of loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches, or 2 loaf pans, 8½x4½x2 ½ inches.
• Mix all ingredients; beat 30 seconds.
• Pour into pan(s).
• Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 9-inch loaf 55 to 65 minutes, 8-inch loaves 55-60 minutes; cool slightly.
• Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove from pan.
• Cool completely before slicing.
• To store, wrap and refrigerate no longer than 1 week.
• *If using self-rising flour, omit baking powder and salt.
• Apricot Nut Bread: Mix 1 cup finely cut-up dried apricots.
• Banana Nut Bread: Decrease milk to 1/3 cup and omit orange peel. Mix in 1 ¼ cup mashed bananas (1 to 3 medium). Bake 9-inch loaf 65 to 70 minutes.
• Cranberry-Cheese Nut Bread: Decrease nuts to 1/2 cup. Stir in 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces) and 1 cup cranberries, cut into halves. Bake 9-inch loaf 65 to 70 minutes.
• Date Nut Bread: Omit milk. Mix 1 1/2 cups boiling water and 1 1/2 cups cut-up dates; cool. Stir into the batter.
• Whole Wheat Raisin Bread: Substitute 2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour and honey for the brown sugar. Mix in 1 cup raisins.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, beat all ingredients except walnuts with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in walnuts. Spread batter in pan.
• Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool 10 minutes. Run knife or metal spatula around sides of pan to loosen bread; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.