Strawberry (or Any Berry) Puff Pastry Braid Recipe
Difficulty: Simple
Makes: 12 pieces (2 braids total)
Nutrition per Serving: Serving = 1 of 12 slices Calories: 345; Total Fat: 24 g; Saturated Fat: 8 g; Carbohydrates: 28 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Sugar: 8 g; Protein: 5 g; Cholesterol: 35 mg; Sodium: 177 mg
Overall Time: 1 hr 10 min (includes time for cooling)
Hands-on Time: 20 min
- One 8-oz block cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- One 17.3-oz package frozen puff pastry, thawed
- All-purpose flour, for sprinkling
- 10 fresh strawberries, sliced (or any berry of your choice)
- Demerara sugar, for finishing
- 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese and sour cream with a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy; add the sugar and beat until creamy and lump-free. Set aside.
3. Crack the egg into a small dish and whisk with 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash.
4. Lightly flour your work surface and place one sheet of thawed puff pastry on it. Roll into a rectangle about 14 12 inches.
5. Spread half of the cream cheese mixture down the center of the pastry, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Slice both long sides of the rectangle into 1-inch strips, and layer half the sliced strawberries over the filling.
6. Starting at one end, fold the strips diagonally across the filling, alternating sides to form a braid and cover the fruit. Repeat with the second pastry sheet, remaining filling, and remaining strawberries.
7. Lightly brush each braid with the egg wash (use sparingly so the pastry can puff). Sprinkle with demerara sugar and top with chopped pistachios.
8. Bake until deep golden brown and puffed, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for about 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
