Cherry Braid

For my Frog Prince, I made him a treat I knew he would love – a cherry danish braid.

We used our homemade pie filling along with a white whole wheat flour in the crust and it turned out fabulous!  If you need a dessert or special treat for a brunch, this is great and could easily be filled with any fruit filling of your choice. 

Cherry Braid – Adapted from The Sweets Life

Ingredients

• 1 7/8 C white whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 oz. Neufchatel cream cheese
• 5 T butter, unsalted
• 1/2 C milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• heaping 1/2 C cherry pie filling

Directions

Begin by combining the 1 7/8 C white whole wheat flour with the 1 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Mix with a whisk.  Then, cut in the 5 T butter (softened) and 3 oz. cream cheese (softened).  If you have a food processor, feel free to use it to make the dough – pulse 6 times. 

Add the 1/2 C milk and the 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract and stir until the dough comes together. 

Carefully roll the dough into a 12x8 inch rectangle that is about 1/2 inch thick. 

Use a knife to “draw” lines dividing the dough into thirds. 

Place the cherry pie filling down the center. 

Then, slice the two sides into 1-inch strips.  I cut mine on the diagonal. 

Fold the strips of dough over the cherries, alternating sides. 

Mine doesn’t look nearly as exciting as the original… but, it’s tasty!

Bake on a half-sheet pan or a large cookie sheet at 425 for 12-15 minutes.  Bake until the dough is cooked through and the top is lightly browned. 

Serve warm, great for breakfast or dessert!