food and art.

Cranberries, Cinnamon, Sugar and Almonds, to fill a beautiful bread

Braided Berry-Almond Cream Cheese Loaf. So pretty.

My friend Cynthia and I are currently in the process of starting a wedding consulting company. Today I met with our attorney to begin the process of incorporation. As I sat down to tell him about the business model, he asked me to just give him the vision, or the story behind starting a company. As I did, I found myself explaining to him the passion that both Cynthia and I have for beauty. We love to make things beautiful; especially in relation to people. It is so fun to figure out what someone loves; and then help them create a space and an event that is representative of who they are.

Roll out the dough

Sometimes I feel that way about cooking; it is a form of beauty, a form of creating, that gets to represent to the world a little bit of who I am. I have only a month left of grad-school, and life seems to be speeding up without the hope of rest anytime soon. In addition to being a creative outlet, food is also therapeudic for me. So I carved out some time for the kitchen this week, and did a little bread baking.

Breads are fun, because they force you to slow down. You can't force a dough to rise faster, no matter how hard you try. To get the right consistency, you have to be patient with kneading and patient in waiting. With this specific bread, you then have to roll it out, fill it, let it rise again, and then wait for it to bake. It is a process; but one I promise is worth engaging in.

Make a filling

Cut out the corners and top it with filling

Cut the sides into strips, and top with extra goodness

Braid!

The finished loaf. Now let it rise again!

Braided Berry Almond Cream Cheese Loaf:
Serves 8. Adopted from Smitten Kitchen.

Be prepared to have your patience tested.

The dough:

6 tablespoons warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
Mix these ingredients in a bowl; cover loosely with plastic, and set aside for about 15 minutes.

6 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg, beaten for dough
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, whisk together sour cream, butter, egg and sugar. Add above mixture and combine well. Stir in salt, extract, and flour until combined. Pour dough out on a well-floured surface and knead well for about 10 minutes.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic, and let it rise for about 90 minutes, or until doubled.

The filling:
4 oz cream cheese (I used strawberry flavored, but you can use plain as well!)
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon Flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Combine all ingredients until well mixed and spreadable.

In a separate bowl, stir together the extra goodies:
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 Tablespoons Sugar

Assemble the bread.
After the dough has risen, roll it out into a 10x15 inch rectangle.
Transfer the dough to parchment paper (VERY important).
Cut out the corners of the dough (see above) and then fill the middle third of the bread with the first part of the filling. Top with the extra goodies.
Next, slice the dough sides into strips, making sure you have an even amount on each side.
Tuck the first end, and then begin to braid the strips, completing the braid at the other end (see above).
Loosely cover the bread with plastic wrap, and let it rise again, for about 45 minutes to an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Beat 1 egg with 1 teaspoon of water, and brush the bread with this mixture.
Sprinkle with extra sugar, almonds, cranberries, and cinnamon for astetic appeal.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Don't overbake!
Remove from the oven, let it cool for 10-15 minutes, and then serve warm.