• Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 15 minutes
  • Serves: 10

Blueberry Cream Cheese Almond Braid

  • Recipe Submitted by on

 Ingredients List

  • Dough and Filling Ingredients:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 3 ounces best quality cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup milk, minus 1/2 teaspoon
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 cup blueberry preserves (or your favorite preserves)
  • Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients:
  • 8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Icing Ingrdients:
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1/8 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds (optional)

 Directions

Make the cream cheese filling. In your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the 8 ounces of room temperature cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until creamy and smooth. Set aside while you make your braid.

Preheat 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 into a loose dough.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead VERY LIGHTLY for 4-5 strokes. (NOTE: This is the step at which you can ruin the braid. If you overwork the dough, the pastry will be tough. Just gather the dough together and don’t worry about making it smooth. It will still look a little rough. That’s perfect.)

Between two sheets of waxed paper, roll the dough to an 8- by 12-inch rectangle. Turn dough out onto a lightly greased baking sheet and remove the waxed paper. Measure and mark the dough lengthwise into thirds. Spread preserves down the middle third of the dough and spread a thick line of the cream cheese mixture on either side of the preserves (still remaining in the middle third of the dough — try to keep your filling about ½ inch from the mark on both sides.)

Make 2¾-inch slight diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals on each the long sides (see photos below). Do not cut into the center jam-filled area. Fold strips, first one from one side and then one from the other side in a rotating fashion, over the filling. It will now resemble a braid. Bake in a 425° oven for 12-15 minutes, until the dough is cooked through and the top is lightly browned.

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