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Cranberry-Orange Danish Braid

By Annalise Sandberg
Created January 10, 2017
If bakery-made pastries are your weakness, you’ll love this cream cheese-filled version you can easily make at home.
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I often see danish pastries on breakfast buffet tables or in pretty displays at the supermarket, but they never taste as good as homemade. And the problem with homemade Danishes is that they can often be quite complicated and time consuming to pull off. Thankfully, this homemade version couldn’t be easier. Thanks to Bisquick baking mix and a few quick shortcuts, this beautiful and delicious pastry can be on your table (and in your belly) in under an hour.

To make this pastry, let’s start with the dough. Assemble your ingredients: Bisquick, sugar, salt, cold butter and milk.

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In a large bowl, combine the Bisquick, sugar and salt. Add the butter and use a pastry blender to cut into the dry ingredients until it’s the size of small peas.

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Add the milk and stir until it forms a soft dough.

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Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and gently knead it until it comes together into a ball. Shape it into a rough square, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

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To assemble the Danish braid, you’ll need the chilled dough, cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, orange and fresh or frozen cranberries.

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Combine the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk and orange zest until smooth.

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On a lightly floured sugar, roll out the dough into a long rectangle about 9 x 15 inches. Trim the edges so they’re straight and carefully transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

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Measure the rectangle into thirds and gently score dough with a knife or pizza wheel to use as a guideline (do not slice all the way through). Then, cut slanted strips one inch wide into each side. Remove the top and bottom triangles of dough.

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Spread the cream cheese filling onto the center section of the dough and top with cranberries. Alternating sides, criss-cross the strips of dough over the filling, creating a braided look.

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Brush with egg wash and bake until golden, about 25 minutes.

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Let the Danish cool slightly; then drizzle with a simple icing made from powdered sugar, milk or cream and vanilla extract. Let the icing firm up for a few minutes before serving, and then enjoy!

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Ingredients

  • Dough
    • 2cups Original Bisquick™ mix
    • 2tablespoons granulated sugar
    • 1/2teaspoon salt
    • 6tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
    • 1/3cup milk
  • Filling
    • 4oz cream cheese, softened
    • 1egg yolk
    • Grated peel of 1 orange
    • 3tablespoons granulated sugar
    • 1/2teaspoon vanilla
    • 1/2cup fresh or frozen (not thawed) cranberries
  • Glaze
    • 1/2cup powdered sugar
    • 1/2teaspoon vanilla
    • 1to 2 tablespoons milk or cream, to drizzling consistency

Directions

  • 1In large bowl, mix Bisquick mix, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and the salt. Cut in butter with pastry blender until the size of small peas. Add 1/3 cup milk; stir until soft dough forms. Gather dough together in a ball, and shape into a flat square. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 30 minutes but no longer than 8 hours.
  • 2Heat oven to 400°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper.
  • 3Unwrap dough. Sprinkle work surface lightly with flour. Roll dough into 15x9-inch rectangle. Transfer to cookie sheet. With short end of rectangle facing you, gently score it lengthwise, dividing into 3 equal sections. With knife or pizza cutter, cut slanted strips 1 inch wide into both sides.
  • 4In small bowl, beat all Filling ingredients except cranberries with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread evenly onto center third of dough. Top with cranberries. Working with slanted strips one at a time, crisscross over filling to create a braided look.
  • 5Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Cool.
  • 6In small bowl, beat Glaze ingredients with whisk until smooth. Drizzle over braided Danish. Slice and serve.

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