Eggnog and Cranberry Christmas Braid

Welcome to day #5 of Christmas Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen of Juanita’s Cocina. Today’s theme for Christmas Week is “Christmas Pies and Pastries”. Make sure you visit all the participating bloggers today to see what special dish they whipped up for you.

For the grand finale of our Christmas week, I thought it was fitting that I make a braid for you. Not just any kind of braid---a Christmas Braid! This one is made out of Eggnog and Cranberries. It's a theme with me, I know, yet so perfect for Christmas, methinks. But wait!! There is more! We have a giveaway for you, too! I will explain more about that after I post the recipe. You are going to be so excited (I think I've used more exclamation points in this paragraph than in all of my posts combined...)!!  Let's get on with it, shall we?

Eggnog and Cranberry Christmas Braid
Printable Recipe

Sponge

3/4 eggnog, warmed to 110-115 degrees (bathwater warm)

1 tablespoon instant yeast

1/2 cup all purpose flour

Dough

all of the sponge

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup ( 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 1/2 – 5 cups Flour

egg wash for brushing braid*

Cream cheese filling

2/3 cup cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup eggnog

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 cup prepared cranberry relish

For such a rich dough we need lots of yeast power...that's why we use a tablespoon (or 2 packets).

For the sponge, combine the eggnog and yeast in a medium bowl. Stir in the flour. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sponge, sour cream, butter, eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, and 4 1/2 cups of the flour. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and beat the mixture until the dough is rough and shaggy. Switch the paddle for the dough hook and knead the dough at medium speed for about 6 minutes, or until smooth, adding additional flour if needed.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning once, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm, draft-free area for 60 to 90 minutes or until about double in size.

While the dough is rising, prepare the cream cheese filling. In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, eggnog, and flour. Set aside.

Gently deflate the dough and divide in two. Cover one of the halves with plastic wrap and set aside. Roll the remaining dough into a 10"X15" rectangle (do this over parchment paper or a silpat for easy transfer on to the baking sheet).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture down the center third of the dough. Top with 1/2 cup of the cranberry sauce.

Cut 1" crosswise strips down the sides of the rectangle. Starting from one end, bring one of the dough strips across the filling diagonally. Repeat on the other side, crisscrossing the dough strips. Continue down the rest of the braid, alternating strips to form the loaf. Repeat the rolling, filling and braiding with the second braid. Set both braids aside, cover lightly, and allow to rise for 45 to 60 minutes. Brush each loaf gently with an egg wash (one egg beaten with a pinch of salt). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on wire racks. Drizzle with Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting, if desired.

For frosting, combine 2 tablespoons softened butter, 2 tablespoons softened cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, and 2-3 tablespoons eggnog. Beat until smooth, adding additional eggnog if needed.

Simply Scrumptious.

And now for the giveaway news that I'm sure you have been anxiously awaiting!

Freund Container & Supply has generously donated $100 gift certificates for each #ChristmasWeek blogger to give away! Freund Container & Supply is the largest distributor of glass bottles, containers and wholesale packaging supplies online. Freund offers over 5000 items in stock every day, 98% same day shipping and low-price guarantees. Take a look at Freund’s wide selection of jars, tins, bottles and vials for all your crafting and food related needs!

This giveaway is for one $100 gift certificate to Freund Container & Supply. Gift certificate will expire on March 31, 2013. Gift certificate is a one-time use certificate and must be used in its entirety; any leftover monies on the gift certificate will be forfeited. This giveaway is open to both US and Canadian residents. However, it should be noted that due to current International shipping rates, any Canadian winners will pay higher shipping costs for orders. The giveaway will run from today, December 7th, 2012, through Wednesday, December 12th, 2012.

Please visit Fruend Container & Supply for inspiration!  Then, click on the Rafflecopter login to add your information privately. :)

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FreundContainerSupply

Twitter: http://twitter.com/freundcontainer

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/freundcontainer/

Freund Container & Supply is also offering all #ChristmasWeek blog readers 10% off purchases from now through March 31, 2013. Simply enter code JINGLEME10 to receive your discount!

***Disclaimer: This giveaway is being provided by Freund Container & Supply. #ChristmasWeek bloggers have not been compensated as part of this giveaway.***

If you'd like more chances to win a $100 gift certificate from Freund, please make sure you visit today's blog posts from each of the other #ChristmasWeek bloggers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check 'em all out!

Christmas Apple Pie from Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic
Pumpkin Cheesecake Fried Pies from Jen of Juanita's Cocina
Chocolate Angel Pie from Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Nutella Swirled Pumpkin Pie from Anuradha of Baker Street
Cheese Danish Pie from Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
Bakewell Tarts from Isabelle of Crumb
Grasshopper Pie from Erin of Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
Cranberry Fritters from Erin of The Spiffy Cookie
Cinnamon Pecan Crescent Rolls from Ramona of Curry and Comfort
Banketstaaf (Dutch Christmas Log) from Heather of Girlichef
Eggnog and Cranberry Christmas Braid from Cathy of The Dutch Baker's Daughter
Raspberry Galette from Chung-Ah of Damn Delicious

It's Improv time! This month our ingredients are Corn and Butter-- fitting for July, no?  A big thanks to Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker for hosting this fun monthly challenge, where we get creative with two different ingredients each month.

I know what you're all thinking....where's the muffin? Am I right? I've gotten a little carried away with muffins lately, but I thought better of it this time. Not that corn and butter wouldn't make an awesome muffin, but I thought I'd better widen my horizons. To be honest, when I'm not thinking about muffins, I'm thinking about pizza. My favorite pizzas have a crispy crust and plenty of cheese and veggies. Sometimes there's sauce, but most often I just use a garlicky olive oil. Wouldn't pizza be a perfect vehicle for corn and butter? I knew you'd agree! Take a look at what kind of pizza I made....

Buttery Crusted Sweet Corn and Tomato Pizza

A buttery, flaky crust topped with roasted sweet corn and fresh tomatoes--the perfect summer pizza!

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
• 2/3 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shredded Provolone cheese
• 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 2 cups roasted, fresh sweet corn kernels
• Freshly ground salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven (and pizza stone) to 500 degrees F.
2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry knife or two forks, until the flour resembles a coarse meal. Stir the yeast into the warm water. Add the water to the flour mixture and stir until it comes together into a ball. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and gently knead until you have a smooth dough. Divide it in half, cover loosely, and allow to rest for about 30 minutes.
3. Sprinkle some cornmeal or Semolina flour onto a pizza peel (or use the back of a baking pan). Using your hands or a rolling pin, shape one of the dough halves into a 10" circle. Prick the dough with a fork, slide it onto the heated pizza stone, and bake for 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Brush the partially baked dough with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, a teaspoon oregano, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and 1/4 cup shredded basil. Top with about a cup of shredded cheese, or enough Provolone cheese slices to cover the crust, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Top the cheese with sliced tomatoes and 1 cup of corn kernels. Return the pizza to the oven and continue to bake for an additional 5-8 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with freshly ground salt and pepper. Repeat with the second half of dough.

Yield: 2 10" Pizzas
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 30 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 13 mins.
Total time: 43 mins.
Tags: pizza, tomatoes, corn, dough, flaky, buttery

This is a lot like making a pie crust, except I always use chilled water for that. This crust turns out nice and crisp...and flaky!

The silpat makes a nice spot for kneading your dough.

Semolina flour is a good change from cornmeal...not quite as gritty.

I happen to like my corn grilled, so I saved several cobs when I grilled on Sunday.

Just use a sharp knife to get the kernels off of the cob.

You can see from the side how flaky the crust is. As a bonus, it stayed crispy, even after a night in the fridge.

This makes for a good lunch and/or appetizer, no?

I wasn't so sure I would like the crust like this, thinking it would be too much  like a pie crust., but it turned out to be one of the better pizza crusts I've made. As a bonus, there really isn't any rise time. Buttery, flaky crust with ripe tomatoes and corn? Oh yes...this I will make again. It's a new family favorite! :)

Check out all of the other delicious Corn and Butter entries.....

The Pizza Braid

I know. Another braid. It's an obsession. Perhaps it's because I grew up with braids. Yes, I was the Dutch girl with braids. Tempting, they were (at least to Dennis D, who sat behind me in fourth grade and played giddy up with them on a daily basis). At any rate, I have to share my one last braid recipe with you, this time a savory one.

You may recall that a few months ago I had the opportunity to visit the Red Gold Tomato Company. I won a blogger contest and was able to travel to Indiana, where I met up with six other bloggers and was treated to a tour of the Red Gold facilities and a night to remember at The Taste of the NFL. While there, we were introduced to the family behind the Red Gold Company, the Reicharts. I got the feeling they were a little confused as to what kind of recipes The Dutch Baker's Daughter could come up with using canned tomatoes. How do baking and canned tomatoes go together? I ended up promising Brian Reichart, Red Gold's CEO, that I would come up with a pizza bread of sorts. I think a pizza braid fits the bill, don't you?

Don't think I'm really a Red Gold fan? Check out my cupboard....

I had a flavor combination in mind when I started my little pizza braid project....I was looking for a slightly sweet, soft dough wrapped around a spicy sauce. Contrasting flavors, if you will. So, while you can certainly take a shortcut and use frozen bread dough or canned pizza dough, I urge you to try my homemade variety...you won't be sorry.

First, we want to start with the sauce. I made this right before I used it, but it may taste even better if you make it a day ahead. Feel free to add a little salt--we cut back on it at our house.

Spicy Pizza Sauce

Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, crushed

½ cup white wine

4 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (28 oz) can petite diced tomatoes

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until they are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and the wine; cook for an additional minute. Stir in the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, pepper flakes and black pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the vinegar; cool.

On to the dough--

First we start with a "sponge"...it gets the yeast going...

For the dough, I borrowed heavily from the King Arthur Flour braid recipe, but I had to cut back on the sweetness and add a bit of savory....adding a little Parmesan cheese helped with that.

Pizza Braid Dough

Printable Recipe

Sponge:

3/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees F.)

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon instant yeast

1/2 cup all purpose flour

Dough:

all of the sponge

3/4 cup sour cream

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

4 1/2 to 5 cups all purpose flour

Filling:

2 cups Spicy Pizza Sauce

2 1/4 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

Assorted veggies and or meats of your choice

For the sponge, combine the water, sugar and yeast in a medium bowl. Stir in the flour. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sponge, sour cream, butter, eggs, sugar, Parmesan cheese, and 4 1/2 cups of the flour. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and beat the mixture until the dough is rough and shaggy. Switch the paddle for the dough hook and knead the dough at medium speed for about 6 minutes, or until smooth, adding additional flour if needed.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm, draft-free area for 60 to 90 minutes or until about double in size.

Gently deflate the dough and divide in two. Cover one of the halves with plastic wrap and set aside. Roll the remaining dough into a 10"X15" rectangle (do this over parchment paper or a silpat for easy transfer on to the baking sheet).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese down the center third of the dough. Top with 1 cup of the pizza sauce and about a cup of assorted chopped veggies. I used onions, green peppers, olives, and spinach leaves, but you could add pepperoni, or crumbled sausage, as well. Top with an additional 1/2 cup of cheese.

Cut 1" crosswise strips down the sides of the rectangle. Starting from one end, bring one of the dough strips across the filling diagonally. Repeat on the other side, crisscrossing the dough strips. Continue down the rest of the braid, alternating strips to form the loaf. Repeat the rolling, filling and braiding with the second braid. Set both braids aside, cover lightly, and allow to rise for 45 to 60 minutes. Brush each loaf gently with an egg wash (one egg beaten with a pinch of salt). Sprinkle with dehydrated onions or poppy seeds, if desired. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

I didn't brush the first loaf with egg wash...it wasn't as pretty.

I ended up sprinkling dehydrated onions on the top of my braid...it gave it a little something.

These take a little time to make, but oh so worth it...

I would love to hear what you would put in your pizza braid. Sauerkraut? Baked beans? It's all good.

Pretzel Buns

Have you discovered Pinterest? Oh boy---is it addicting or what? I keep pinning pictures of great looking food to my boards. Besides my own stuff, though, I hadn't made any of the things that I fully intended to. Until today. Today, I made the Pretzel Rolls.

I've been eyeing these little devils for weeks, all the while buying pretzel buns at Trader Joe's. Want to see how I made them? Here you go:

Pretzel Rolls (adapted from [Une Bonne Vie])

Printable Recipe

1 3/4 cups milk, warmed to 110 degrees F. (bathwater warm)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

3-3 1/2 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

Coarse salt for sprinkling

Water Bath

7-8 cups water

1 tablespoon salt

4 tablespoons baking soda

Place the warmed milk in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the olive oil and the yeast. Let this mixture stand for about 5 minutes or until it starts to foam (this way you know the yeast is working). Add three cups of the flour and the salt.

Attach the dough hook and knead the dough for about 5 minutes, adding additional flour, if needed. The dough should nearly clean the sides of the bowl, but still be a little tacky. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly, by hand, for about a minute until the dough is smooth and elastic.

When measuring the flour, lightly spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. If you have to add flour, add it a tablespoon at a time.

Place the dough in a well oiled bowl and turn it over so that both sides are oiled. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let the dough rise in a draft-free area until it's doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.; Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Punch the dough down and plop it on a floured surface ( I prefer my Silpat), then divide it into 8 pieces. Form each piece of dough into a ball, slightly flattened. Place the dough balls on the lined baking pan, cover and allow to rise for an additional 20 minutes.

While the buns are rising, prepare the water bath. In a large pot, combine the water, salt, and baking soda; bring to a rolling boil. Gently drop the dough buns into the boiling water, two at a time, and let them "poach" for about 30 seconds on each side. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place them back on the lined baking pan. Using a serrated knife, cut 2-3 lines across each bun and sprinkle with course salt. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the buns are a deep brown. Transfer to a rack to cool.

I found the dough balls to be a little sticky when I was putting them into the boiling water, so I dipped my fingers in a little flour first. The water does foam up, so make sure your pot is large enough. A crinkly appearance is normal--this disappears during baking.

As you can see, I was a little stingy with the salt--I usually scrape salt off of my pretzels, but I found that I did like a little on these.

If you aren't going to use all of these right away, go ahead and pop some in the freezer. They thaw quickly and stay fresh much longer if frozen.

I may never buy another hamburger bun again.

Cinnamon Rolls

I've posted Cinnamon Rolls before--Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls. And Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls. I've done Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding and I've contemplated PB&J Cinnamon Rolls, Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls and even Avocado Cinnamon Rolls. Well, maybe not Avocado Cinnamon Rolls. The point is, I've thought of several different versions of Cinnamon Rolls, but I have yet to show you my basic, everyday, out of this world, Cinnamon Roll recipe.

Now, if you have navigated to this page in the hopes of finding a lo-cal version of Cinnamon Roll, you are wasting your time. I use butter. Copious amounts of butter. And I don't skimp on the sugar, either. Seriously, we are talking about Cinnamon Rolls. It is a once in a while treat, not the mainstay of anyone's diet. So let us begin.

Cinnamon Rolls

Printable Recipe

• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature, slightly beaten
• 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup pecans (optional)

 Heat the milk, 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Let cool until temperature is about 110 degrees F (like bathwater warm).

I almost always heat it too much at first. Be sure to let it cool down so you don't kill the yeast. The butter will finish melting, trust me.

In a large mixing bowl, combine milk mixture with yeast, egg, and 2 cups of the flour and the salt; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has just pulled together, turn it onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. (Alternately, just use the dough hook on your mixer and let the mixer knead the dough for about five minutes)

The egg, butter, and sugar will give you a nice rich dough...the perfect vehicle for even more butter.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a clean damp towel. Allow dough to rise until double, about 1 hour. In the meantime, in a small bowl, mix together the softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll out the dough into a 12X9 inch rectangle (I like to do this on my Silpat). Spread the dough with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Sprinkle with pecans if desired. Roll up the dough and pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 equal sized pieces and place into a greased 9X13 inch pan. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Add some pecans, if you like. Or some raisins or chopped apple. This batch is going to be plain.

Be sure to use a sharp knife when cutting...you don't want all of the filling to squish out.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven and frost while warm.

You are not required to frost these, but I think it adds a little je ne sais quoi.

I personally like my Cinnamon Rolls frosted with a nice Orange Cream Cheese Frosting, but a simple drizzle of glaze will suffice. If you're interested, here's my recipe...I just used it on my Red Velvet Brownies. :)

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Printable Recipe

4 oz cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 teaspoons freshly grated orange peel

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

2 cups powdered sugar

Beat the cream cheese and the butter in a medium bowl. Add the orange peel, vanilla, and the orange juice, blending until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat to desired consistency.

Soft, warm, gooey, cinnamon-y and good.

 I find that these rolls will last for a day or two before getting stale. While it is rare that there will be any left, keep in mind that they will make a superb Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding. 

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