You can also use this technique for any number of fruits and jams. Think pesto and goat cheese, tomatoes and mozzarella, smoked salmon and cream cheese and chives. Lots of possibilities exist for other fillings and flavor combinations. This is the basic braiding technique with puff pastry you can use for so many sweet or savory recipes. Brush the tops of the braids and sprinkle with the reserved lemon zest. Place a little apricot jam in the microwave for 20 seconds or so to warm and thin. Bake for 30 minutes, until puffed and browned. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to firm the pastry again, then place in the oven and reduce the temperature to 350. Be careful not to let the egg drip down the cut side of each braid as it could inhibit the puff. Mix an egg glaze by beating an egg yolk with a little water, and carefully brush the top of the braids of both pastries to encourage even browning. This is fine, A bit of oozing is expected. There may be filling peaking out both ends. Then, starting at the top, alternate one side then the other, and fold over the fringe to create a braid-like form on top of the filling. Cover this carefully with one-half of the lemon curd.
This will be a nice thick luscious layer. Using a firm straight edge (I use my metal ruler I stash in my kitchen drawer and use just for cooking) cut slashes right through the dough on each side, 14 or so strips to a side, making “fringe.”Ĭover the middle third of the sheet with one-half of the cheese mixture. Now, look at the two bare flaps on each side of the filling. With the back of a butter knife, score the dough into thirds vertically, being careful not to cut through! These lines will be your guides. You are going to place the dough vertically in front of you. To assemble the braids, roll out one of the pastry sheets on a lightly floured board until it measures 10 by 14 inches or so, no need to be exact here. If really stiff, add a few drops of lemon juice. Mix up the lemon curd to loosen it a bit. Toss with a little granulated sugar and set aside for topping later on.Ĭream together the cream cheese, sour cream (or cottage cheese), sugar, egg yolk, flour, and lemon juice. Zest the lemon in long, fine strips and place in a small bowl. fresh lemon juice from one lemon, reserve zestĬut parchment paper to fit a large rimmed baking sheet and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
#Lemon braid full#
It is also really pretty!Ģ sheets of puff pastry, thawed in the refrigeratorġ/3 cup sour cream, full fat, or cottage cheeseĢ tsp.
It is a wonderful sweet bread for any special event or brunch. The dough is puffy and crisp and flavorful, and the luscious center of lemon-flavored cheese is the added bonus you won’t need any butter. The recipe makes two rich loaves, so you can tuck one away in the freezer for another day if your party is not so large. She never looked back! The pre-made puff pastry is an immense time saver! One for today, one for the freezer
Look for one made with real butter it is harder to find and more expensive, but really delicious.Įvery gathering needs something for the sweet teeth that attend, and this one is pretty as well! My mother made this originally with a sweet, yeast dough, until she discovered the wonders and ease of frozen puff pastry later in her life. Pre-made puff pastry saves tons of times, and has countless sweet and savory uses. If I am going to use a pre-made product, it better not just be easy, it needs to taste good too. Pre-made Puff Pastry Makes Easy Work of this Dessert