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Christmas Cherry Braid Danish…a delicious tradition

December 22, 2017 by Meg 4 Comments

Move over cinnamon rolls…this sweet, baked cherry braid is a festive addition to your Christmas menu. Fancy-looking, but simple to make, serve it for dessert (or even breakfast) and wow you family!Move over cinnamon rolls...this sweet, baked cherry braid is a festive addition to your Christmas menu. Fancy-looking, but simple to make, serve it for dessert (or even breakfast) and wow you family!

Note: This post includes affiliate links to the products discussed, but always feel free to shop around for the best deals. See my disclosure to learn more.

It’s almost Christmas! My kids are beyond excited, and we’re hunkering down for a week of family fun and celebrating the birth of our Savior.

This week, I want to focus on the wonderful people that make my world go round (and sometimes make it feel like a tornado), so–after today–I’ll be signing off on the blog until the New Year.

I have some BIG ideas for this little blog for the new year though. Stay tuned. I can’t wait to share with you the goals I’m setting for myself to bring more peace and joy into my life as mother–and I hope you’ll join me. So, enjoy your Christmas, and I’ll see you back here in January!

Before I go read Christmas stories and watch Charlie Brown with my kids, however, I wanted to share one last Christmas tradition with you all. It’s a recipe that I’ve been making since childhood, so you can rest assured that while it may look fancy, it’s actually pretty easy.Move over cinnamon rolls...this sweet, baked cherry braid is a festive addition to your Christmas menu. Fancy-looking, but simple to make, serve it for dessert (or even breakfast) and wow you family!My family has been making this cherry braid since the 1980s (see, some good things came out of that decade!), and baking it is one of my favorite ways to warm up the house during the winter.

It’s made with a basic sweet bread (think cinnamon roll dough) that is rolled out, separated into thirds and filled with sweet cherry pie filling. You could totally do a different fruit if you want, but red cherries look just perfect for Christmastime.

Move over cinnamon rolls...this sweet, baked cherry braid is a festive addition to your Christmas menu. Fancy-looking, but simple to make, serve it for dessert (or even breakfast) and wow you family! Move over cinnamon rolls...this sweet, baked cherry braid is a festive addition to your Christmas menu. Fancy-looking, but simple to make, serve it for dessert (or even breakfast) and wow you family!

Then, braid the dough over the top of the cherries (super easy…see pictures…and pardon the terrible, dark images. I was prepping this at 7 a.m.), and bake. Finish it off with a simple glaze–or get really indulgent with a cream cheese frosting–and it’s ready to eat!Move over cinnamon rolls...this sweet, baked cherry braid is a festive addition to your Christmas menu. Fancy-looking, but simple to make, serve it for dessert (or even breakfast) and wow you family!The recipe makes three large loaves, so there is always plenty to share with friends and neighbors. Our church always hosts a neighborhood Christmas breakfast, and I’ve made this recipe the past several years there. This year I took two of the giant loaves to share, and they we’re gobbled up quickly. It’s a bread meant for sharing…perfect for spreading the spirit of Christmas.Move over cinnamon rolls...this sweet, baked cherry braid is a festive addition to your Christmas menu. Fancy-looking, but simple to make, serve it for dessert (or even breakfast) and wow you family!

Cherry Braid

Ingredients:

Bread:

  • 4 1/2 teaspoons yeast (2 packages)
  • 1 cup warm milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup melted butter, warm
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6-7 cups flour
  • 1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

Icing:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 3 Tablespoons milk (approximate)

Directions:

  1. Dissolve yeast in warm milk (make sure it’s not too hot or the yeast will die…110 degrees is ideal).
  2. Mix together melted butter and sugar. Add eggs. Add yeast mixture.
  3. In a separate bowl, add salt to 6 cups of flour and mix well. Add this mixture to the wet ingredients 2 cups at a time until a soft dough is formed.
  4. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic.
  5. Let raise until double (can do in the fridge overnight), about an hour.
  6. To shape the braids, divide into three portions and roll out each portion to a rectangle about 8″ x 14″. Place dough on cookie sheet.
  7. Place one third of the pie filling down the dough length-wise. I usually make a tight single-file line of cherries. With a sharp knife (or bench knife…my favorite tool), cut diagonal slits in the dough along the two long sides (about 2-3 inches long). Lace the cut pieces of dough over the pie filling, as shown in the picture. Tuck ends under, cover with a tea towel, and let rise for another 45 minutes to an hour, until doubled.
  8. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until light golden on top and not doughy. Let cool slightly and move to wire rack to cool completely.
  9. Mix up all icing ingredients and drizzle over loaves. Slice and enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!Move over cinnamon rolls...this sweet, baked cherry braid is a festive addition to your Christmas menu. Fancy-looking, but simple to make, serve it for dessert (or even breakfast) and wow you family!

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Filed Under: Food Tagged With: Breakfast, Christmas, Dessert, Recipes

Previous Post: « Quick and easy Christmas preschool learning game: find the presents! 
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Wendy

    December 22, 2017 at 9:08 am

    These look so elegant – thanks for breaking the steps down. I may try for Christmas morning.

    Reply
  2. jenna | the urben life

    December 22, 2017 at 10:05 am

    Oh my, this looks gorgeous! I might try to veganize it 🙂

    Reply
  3. Shann Eva

    December 22, 2017 at 12:27 pm

    Wow! This looks amazing! So beautiful and delicious and perfect for Christmas. My family would love this. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

    Reply
  4. kara

    December 23, 2017 at 1:59 pm

    1) this looks delicious 2) I never realized how easy danish is to make!!

    Reply

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