Cinnamon Braid Recipe

It has been a while since I have shared a recipe with you all.  I thought I would share this one before the weather is too hot for much baking.  In the last couple months this Cinnamon Braid has become a favorite in my immediate and extended family.  It's presence is often requested at our Sunday dinner.  The Cinnamon Braid is made up of ingredients I always keep in my pantry, is easy, and it just looks soo pretty!

First we will start with the dough.  My favorite dough to use is this recipe, that I shared with you all last year.  I almost always keep homemade pizza dough in the freezer and have used it too.  The first option is my favorite but, I don't think anyone will complain if you make the braid with pizza dough. 

When your dough is ready and you start to roll out the cinnamon braid try to achieve a long and narrow rectangle.  The rolled out dough needs to be about 1/2 in. thick.  Now you are ready to spread your filling onto the dough.

To make the filling you will need:

1 cup of brown sugar
4 TBS of melted butter
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 TBS of flour

Melt the butter, then add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour.  Stir until combined, then spread it onto the dough. 

Now comes the braiding.  Do not let this step scare you.  Hopefully my pictures will be a good aide.  Use a pizza cutter to cut strips down both long edges of the dough.  Start at one narrow end of the dough by cutting off the first strip on both sides.

Cut of the first strip on each side.

Then fold the end over like seen in the picture below.  Now starting with either long side fold in a strip and then go to the other side folding in that strip.  If you look at the picture below you can see that the strips of dough partially over lap each other so it looks braided, when it is really not.

 Continue this until you are two strips from the end.  Now you are going to cut of the last strip off each side.  Fold the end over and then finish by folding the last strips over the folded end.  ( I know that might sound more confusing than it is.)

Fold the end in and then the last strips over that.

Ready to bake.

  Now that the Cinnamon Braid is ready to go, it will be baked at 400 degrees for about 15 min. or until golden brown. 

The last step in this recipe is to add the glaze to the Cinnamon Braid.  To make the glaze you will melt 3 TBS of butter.  Then add 1 cup of powdered sugar and 1 tsp of vanilla to it.  Stir this up and then SLOWLY add hot water to the mixture to make it the right consistency.  The glaze needs to be drizzled over the braid.  If you get the glaze to thin leave it alone for a few minutes and it will thicken up.  I usually add the glaze when the Cinnamon Braid has cooled off and is just warm.  If you add it too soon the glaze will just soak in and not sit on top. 

Definitely a crowd pleaser!

I know that this recipe seems to have a lot of steps.  Do not let my mile long post deceive you.  This is one of the easiest deserts I have made.  Once you make it a few times you will see how easy it is and discover how fun it is to be creative.  I like to try new things and have made it with cherry, strawberry and apple cinnamon fillings and taken it in the savory direction by adding cheese and pepperonis for a quick dinner.  I enjoy making recipes like this because it allows me to experiment.  Hope you enjoy it too!

God Bless
Melissa