Pumpkin Pecan Streusel Breakfast Braid
Another new pumpkin recipe! In this breakfast braid, tender, flaky, almond-scented pastry envelops pumpkin pie custard topped with buttery cinnamon pecan streusel. Maple brown sugar glaze and toasted pecans top the whole shebang, creating a perfect autumn breakfast (or dessert, or lunch, or dinner...!)
This braid looks fancy, but don't be fooled. It's one of the easiest things I make. The dough is lovely to work with -- it doesn't need to rise, barely needs any kneading, and isn't too sticky or finicky. It’s the perfect beginning pastry. If you’ve ever used canned crescent rolls, this dough is a textured a lot like that. I'm always amazed that such gorgeous results can be achieved with such little effort.
Especially if you've never made anything like this, I hope you'll give it a try. It really does make you feel like a rockstar to serve a pretty braid to your family :)
Pumpkin Pecan Streusel Breakfast Braid with Maple Brown Sugar Glaze
Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking. Inspired by The Luna Cafe, with glaze from Caitlin Cooks
Yield: About 4-5 servings of 2 slices each
Easy Dough Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup milk, minus 1/2 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Pumpkin Pie Filling Ingredients:
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/8 cup sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/8 teaspoons cinnamon*
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg*
1/4 teaspoon ginger*
1/8 teaspoon allspice*
*You could probably substitute a teaspoon or so of pumpkin pie spices for these.
Pecan Streusel Ingredients:
1/8 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/8 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoons cup cold butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Maple Brown Sugar Glaze Ingredients:
1 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoons real maple syrup
pinch salt
3/4 cup powdered sugar
cinnamon for sprinkling
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Make the creamy pumpkin pie filling. In your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy and smooth. Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice and mix until combined. Set in fridge while you make your braid.
Toast your pecans. Spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for about 6 minutes or until fragrant, stirring about halfway through the cook time. Transfer nuts to a plate to cool. Raise oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
Make your pastry dough. 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 sheet of lightly-floured parchment paper and knead very lightly for just 4-5 strokes (be careful not to overwork the dough or it'll be tough! Don't worry about getting it smooth -- just knead for these few strokes and let it stay a little rough.)
Very lightly flour the top of the dough and place another sheet of parchment paper on top. Between two sheets of parchment paper, roll the dough to an 8- by 12-inch rectangle (I lift the paper off every now and then and flip the dough and repeat on the other side, to ensure the dough isn't sticking). Remove the top sheet of parchment and discard. Measure and mark the dough lengthwise into thirds. Spread your creamy pumpkin pie filling down the middle third of the dough -- try to keep your filling about 1/4 inch from the mark on both sides.
Make the streusel topping. Combine the flour and brown sugar in a medium bowl and using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until you have crumbly streusel. Mix in 1/4 cup of toasted pecans (save the rest for decorating the finished braid). Sprinkle streusel over top of pumpkin mixture in center of dough. Really pile it on!
Continue assembling the braid (see photos at the bottom of this recipe, which show the process of marking and assembling a raspberry almond braid, for guidance). Make 2 3/4-inch slight diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals on each the long sides. Do not cut into the center pumpkin-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. Use the sheet of parchment to transfer your braid to a baking sheet (at this point, you can brush the pastry with a mixture of 1 beaten egg and a teaspoon of water if you want it darker than mine. I didn't bother). Bake in the 425 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, until the dough is cooked through and the top is lightly browned. Let the braid cool slightly while you make your glaze.
Make the Maple Brown Sugar Glaze. Combine the butter and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the butter melts, whisk in the brown sugar, syrup, and salt, stirring until the brown sugar melts. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar. Drizzle the glaze over the top of your braid. Sprinkle the braid with toasted pecans and a dusting of cinnamon. Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and microwave for about 20 seconds to serve.
To read about how I wholeheartedly embrace nerdiness, see the great lengths I was willing to go to to get out of the mile run as a child, and see more pumpkin braid photos, please head over to Willow Bird Baking!
x-posted to food_porn, cooking, picturing_food, and bakebakebake
This braid looks fancy, but don't be fooled. It's one of the easiest things I make. The dough is lovely to work with -- it doesn't need to rise, barely needs any kneading, and isn't too sticky or finicky. It’s the perfect beginning pastry. If you’ve ever used canned crescent rolls, this dough is a textured a lot like that. I'm always amazed that such gorgeous results can be achieved with such little effort.
Especially if you've never made anything like this, I hope you'll give it a try. It really does make you feel like a rockstar to serve a pretty braid to your family :)
Pumpkin Pecan Streusel Breakfast Braid with Maple Brown Sugar Glaze
Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking. Inspired by The Luna Cafe, with glaze from Caitlin Cooks
Yield: About 4-5 servings of 2 slices each
Easy Dough Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup milk, minus 1/2 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Pumpkin Pie Filling Ingredients:
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/8 cup sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/8 teaspoons cinnamon*
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg*
1/4 teaspoon ginger*
1/8 teaspoon allspice*
*You could probably substitute a teaspoon or so of pumpkin pie spices for these.
Pecan Streusel Ingredients:
1/8 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/8 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoons cup cold butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Maple Brown Sugar Glaze Ingredients:
1 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoons real maple syrup
pinch salt
3/4 cup powdered sugar
cinnamon for sprinkling
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Make the creamy pumpkin pie filling. In your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy and smooth. Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice and mix until combined. Set in fridge while you make your braid.
Toast your pecans. Spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for about 6 minutes or until fragrant, stirring about halfway through the cook time. Transfer nuts to a plate to cool. Raise oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
Make your pastry dough. 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 sheet of lightly-floured parchment paper and knead very lightly for just 4-5 strokes (be careful not to overwork the dough or it'll be tough! Don't worry about getting it smooth -- just knead for these few strokes and let it stay a little rough.)
Very lightly flour the top of the dough and place another sheet of parchment paper on top. Between two sheets of parchment paper, roll the dough to an 8- by 12-inch rectangle (I lift the paper off every now and then and flip the dough and repeat on the other side, to ensure the dough isn't sticking). Remove the top sheet of parchment and discard. Measure and mark the dough lengthwise into thirds. Spread your creamy pumpkin pie filling down the middle third of the dough -- try to keep your filling about 1/4 inch from the mark on both sides.
Make the streusel topping. Combine the flour and brown sugar in a medium bowl and using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until you have crumbly streusel. Mix in 1/4 cup of toasted pecans (save the rest for decorating the finished braid). Sprinkle streusel over top of pumpkin mixture in center of dough. Really pile it on!
Continue assembling the braid (see photos at the bottom of this recipe, which show the process of marking and assembling a raspberry almond braid, for guidance). Make 2 3/4-inch slight diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals on each the long sides. Do not cut into the center pumpkin-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. Use the sheet of parchment to transfer your braid to a baking sheet (at this point, you can brush the pastry with a mixture of 1 beaten egg and a teaspoon of water if you want it darker than mine. I didn't bother). Bake in the 425 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, until the dough is cooked through and the top is lightly browned. Let the braid cool slightly while you make your glaze.
Make the Maple Brown Sugar Glaze. Combine the butter and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the butter melts, whisk in the brown sugar, syrup, and salt, stirring until the brown sugar melts. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar. Drizzle the glaze over the top of your braid. Sprinkle the braid with toasted pecans and a dusting of cinnamon. Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and microwave for about 20 seconds to serve.
To read about how I wholeheartedly embrace nerdiness, see the great lengths I was willing to go to to get out of the mile run as a child, and see more pumpkin braid photos, please head over to Willow Bird Baking!
x-posted to food_porn, cooking, picturing_food, and bakebakebake