Orange Walnut Braids
These soft and tender cinnamon roll braids are accented with sweet, citrus-y orange and tender walnuts. I love them with my morning coffee, but they make a terrific treat any time of day!
Whew! Another week is just about behind us now. Can you believe it? I feel like time just keeps whizzing past; every time I turn around here we are closing out the week again.
Was it a good one for you? Have you kept warm? Have you gotten a lot accomplished? Have you eaten well?
I have eaten very very very well this week 😉 Thanks in part to these babies, which I have been nibbling on with my morning coffee, as a little afternoon pick-me-up, and even a few times for dessert!
So, basically, I live under a rock. As a busy mom, and as someone who works from home, and as just a general hermit-ish person, there are a lot of trends that I don’t stumble across pretty until pretty late in the game, if at all. You may remember that it was just barely over a year ago that I jumped on the Peppermint Mocha bandwagon. Most of the time, if I’m hungry, I just make myself something to eat! So I end up going through life blissfully unaware of things like Bang-Bang Shrimp and Petite Vanilla Bean Scones and Zuppa Toscana and Pecan Braids.
But just before Christmas, I was out shopping with the fam when hunger struck. There was a Panera across the street so we decided to pop in and grab ourselves some lunch. I ordered myself some soup and they offered me a sweet treat for 99 cents more. Because I have an insatiable sweet tooth am willing to tirelessly research food trends for the benefit of my readers, I went for it. I chose a pecan braid and figured I’d save it for next morning’s breakfast. Ha!
It smelled so good I had to sneak a little nibble on the car ride home. A little nibble was followed by another, bigger nibble, and then a big open wide mouthful, and then I decided I’d just eat half, and then before I knew it that pecan braid was just a distant memory. A distant, delicious memory.
I had no choice but to recreate that pecan braid! So that is just what I did, with a little bit of a walnut and orange spin!
I watched this video to learn how to form the braids. This guy is a freaking machine! My efforts were a bit more clumsy, but I managed to get the job done. 😉
The bread component is soft and pillowy, and a little bit gooey. And the filling is cinnamon like whoa! The tender walnuts are such a nice compliment and that hint of orange just makes them so special. I hope you’ll give them a try!
Have a wonderful weekend, my dears! Enjoy it while it lasts- do something wintry like go ice skating or sip hot cocoa or curl up in front of the fire with a good book. Before we know it we’ll be saying goodbye to Old Man Winter!
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Orange Walnut Braids
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1/3 cup (78.86 ml) warm water
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 ounce (7.09 g) active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 egg,, large
- 2 1/2 cups (312.5 g) all-purpose flour, (you may not need all the flour)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- zest of one navel orange,, or 2-3 clementines
For the Filling
- 2/3 cup (146.67 g) light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (29.25 g) chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons (29.57 g) unsalted butter, softened
For the Orange Glaze
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- zest of half a navel orange,, or 1-2 clementines
- 1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
To Make the Dough:
- Preheat the oven to its lowest setting (on my oven it's 170 degrees F).
- Stir the warm water and sugar together, in a large mixing bowl.
- Sprinkle the yeast over the surface and set aside for 5-10 minutes, or until slightly foamy.
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, oil, and egg.
- Add to the yeast mixture, stirring to combine.
- Add the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball. (You may not need all of the flour.)
- Add in the salt and orange zest, and transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface.
- Knead the dough for 5 minutes, or until it takes on a silky texture.
- Lightly mist the mixing bowl with non-stick spray, and place the dough back in.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel.
- Turn the oven off and place the covered bowl in to proof, about 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
To Make the Filling and Form the Braids:
- Place the brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, cornstarch, and cloves in a small bowl and mix to combine.
- Preheat the oven to its lowest setting.
- Punch down the dough and roll out to a large rectangle, about 1/8-inch thick.
- Cut the rectangle into six equal squares, and butter each one liberally, maintaining a clean 1/2-inch border around all four edges.
- Spread an even layer of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the soft butter.
- Roll each square up into a log, pinching the sides to seal.
- Cut each log down the center long-ways, leaving the tippy end still attached.
- Twist into braids and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Turn off the oven and place the braids in to proof a second time, again, 1-2 hours or until doubled.
- Remove the braids from the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake the braids for 15-17 minutes, or until puffed and slightly golden.
- Cool completely, then drizzle with Orange Glaze.
To Make the Orange Glaze:
- Place the powdered sugar and zest in a small bowl and stir in just enough orange juice to reach a drizzling consistency.
These are just so pretty! I love the flavors you used and can’t wait to give these a go!
Hooray! I’m so happy you like them Jessie! I hope you get a chance to give them a try- they are a lot of fun to make 😉
I can’t imagine how you could get one of these (or the inferior Panera equivalent) and hold on to it until breakfast. I want to eat the entire batch right now!
So glad you picked up that pecan braid for inspiration! This looks absolutely delicious! Almost too pretty to eat…. almost 😉 Love the addition of orange too.
Thank you so much, Hapanom! So glad you like the pastries and so happy you stopped by!
These are sooo lovely Ali. I gotta say that I am super behind on trends all the time, including this Bang Bang Shrimp you speak of. What is that lol?
Haha to be honest I am not entirely sure! You got me! I see it all the time on pinterest though so it must be good 😉
Wow, these look so elegant! I have serious baked-goods envy right now 🙂
Lol thank you CakePants!
This is just what my mornings need! Love all these flavors! And they are just soooo pretty! 🙂
Thank you so much Liz!
My first non-babysitting job in high school was working for Panera, so I got burnt out on their bakery treats for awhile. But I’m back to loving them…and this orange-walnut “twist” on their twist (yep, I’m punny!) looks amazing!
Haha love the pun Julie! I wish I had thought of it when I was writing the post 😉 Thanks so much!
I used to be obsessed with Panera Bread but have to admit, we haven’t gone in a while so I love that you recreated the braids. Your orange walnut version sounds even more amazing – I would gobble them up in no time too! They look gorgeous!
Thank you so much Kelly! So you know what I am talking about with those Pecan Braids. Aren’t they irresistible???
Haha totally! I always used to inhale them way too quickly before my husband could even get a taste. So dangerous but SO worth it:)
These look so good. I love your use of composition in your photos. I never had a Pecan Knot.
Nicole you’d better keep your distance from Panera then. Those things are seriously dangerous! Thanks so much for the sweet compliment; hope you have a great weekend!
I am super impressed with these, Allie! Panera is my kids’ favorite restaurant when we go out to lunch (which isn’t all that often, either), but I’ve never tried their pecan braids. I love the orange spin that you gave these, and can’t wait to try making them at home!
Thank you so much, Kristine! Next time you’re at Panera you’ll have to pick up a braid to see how these stack up 😉
These are just seriously gorgeous. I am so appreciative of your willingness to research such trends, especially since we have no Panera here! They look incredible!
Well it’s a tough job, Ashley, but I’m willing to take one for the team 😉 Thank you so much hon!
There’s a Panera a couple blocks away from my apartment, yet somehow I always forget it’s there. They also have the best chocolate chip cookies! Love these braids so much!! I have friends coming to visit for the weekend in a few weeks, and these will be so perfect!
Ok so chocolate chip cookies? Now I’ve gotta get back over there so I can try 😉 Thank you so much for the tip and for the sweet comment! I hope you have a great time with your guests!
My kids and I love Panera Bread when we are out and about. . your orange-walnut-braid looks so much better!!! LOVE!!! and trying to stay warm over here, Allie. . Madison’s restaurant week starts Sunday so we are trying two restaurants. . I’m excited!! the little things. . happy weekend!!!
Aw, that’s so great! I’m excited for you- restaurant week is so much fun. I hope you have a wonderful time and eat lots of great food! Bundle up!
I always feel like I live under a rock. I get crazy looks when I’m like, “Huh, what’s that… never heard of it.” Sometimes it makes me feel old, like a granny. Ha! I’ll just go stuff my face with these braids. They’re gorgeous by the way!
Haha I am totally a granny at heart! I feel you girl. Thank you so much much for making me feel better about it. Hope your weekend is off to a great start, my dear!
Wow, these look so good! I’m feeling the same with the weeks, I can’t believe how quickly they are flying by, it’s pretty scary actually – I have big plans for 2015, but I feel like I’ve lost loads of time already!
Same here! When 2015 started I thought I’d be able to knock so many things off my list in January; now it’s already more than half over! Eep!
Like you, I’ve been a major hermit lately too. It’s just so cold outside. I try to avoid stepping even one foot out the door like the plague. Ahhh, the luxury of working from home. It’s the best, isn’t it. Now, I don’t have to go out for my favorite treat. #winning
Oh my gosh that is like my goal in life lol! It’s bad! 😛