Cranberry Cheese Braid (gluten-free)

December’s Improv Challenge ingredients are cranberry and orange. There were sooooo many directions I wished to go with them, but finally settled on baked goods. I was wishing to try Pamela’s® Bread Mix, and here was my opportunity…
I’d made the cranberry sauce to go in a cream cheese schmear for Thanksgiving, so it was just sitting in the frig waiting for baking day.
Because I was multi-tasking, I tossed the dough ingredients into the bread machine:

• 1/2 c. warm water
• 1 T. yeast
• 1/4 c. honey
• 1 t. Kosher salt
• 1/2 c. yogurt
• 1/2 c. softened butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 T. fresh orange zest
• 4 c. Pamela’s® Bread Mix

When it was finished with the first rise, I divided the dough in half then rolled it out onto silicone baking sheets.Down the middle third I spread half this cream cheese mixture:

• 16 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 c. honey
• 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
• 1/4 c. Pamela’s® Bread Mix

The two side of dough needs to be slashed about every inch, or so.
On top of the cheese I spooned 1/2 - 2/3 cup of the cranberry sauce. Then the strips of dough were crossed to form the braid.
(Of course, all this is repeated with the other half of the dough…)
The braids were covered with plastic wrap & let raise for an hour. They were baked in a pre-heated 350° oven for about an hour until they were nice & browned.
As they cooled, I prepared the vanilla cream glaze:

• 2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 t. vanilla
• 6 T. heavy cream (or as needed for desired consistency)

This was a delicious gluten-free addition to my breakfast.(If you think I ate this only at breakfast time, you are mistaken!)(Actually, I’m eating a slice right now…)

Need holiday menu ideas? Then please check out these wonderful recipes from my friends:

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