Cranberry almond wreath

 

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

I’ve shared a Christmas morning breakfast idea every year for the past 7 years. For me, the biggest factors in choosing what to make for breakfast is whether the dish is festive and whether I can prep it ahead of time. This recipe fits the bill.

The recipe looks long, but that's only because there are several components. There's nothing complicated about the steps or the ingredients.

Obviously, cranberries are very festive, but another flavor that really shines this time of year is almond. I love almond everything, and the filling with marzipan is probably the most crucial for achieving the maximum flavor. If you've ever worked with marzipan, you know that it's crumbly and doesn't spread well. That's why I combined it with Challenge Vanilla Fudge Butter Snack Spread. It makes the filling smoother while also adding flavor. If you can't find the snack spread in a store near you, replace it with Challenge unsalted butter and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (that's in addition to the almond extract).

If by chance your wreath doesn't turn out picture perfect—it's okay! The icing will cover up any imperfections. I like the consistency of my icing to be a little bit on the thin side so the layers of puff pastry and cranberry swirls are still visible.

Cranberry almond wreath

Yield: 6 servings

Time: 20 minutes prep, 1 hour cook

Ingredients

For the cranberry filling

• 5 ounces whole cranberry sauce
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

For the almond filling

• 4 ounces marzipan
• 4 Tablespoons Challenge Vanilla Fudge Butter Snack Spread
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

For the wreath

• 1 all-butter puff pastry sheet

For the icing

• 120 grams (1 cup) confectioners' sugar
• Juice from 1 orange
• Zest from 1 orange

Optional decorations

• Sliced almonds
• Pomegranate arils

Directions

For the cranberry filling

1. Mix cranberry sauce and ginger. Set aside.

For the almond filling

1. Combine marzipan and Challenge Vanilla Fudge Butter Snack Spread in one bowl and microwave for 20 - 30 seconds or until softened.
2. Add almond extract to bowl and stir until combined.

For the wreath

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Spread cranberry filling evenly across puff pastry sheet.
3. Crumble almond filling over top of cranberry filling.
4. Starting on long side, roll dough into the tube.
5. Use pizza cutter to cut rolled up dough in half lengthways.
6. Cross two strips of dough in center. Lift one piece over and under other piece. Continue until strips are intertwined.
7. Bring both ends of dough together to form wreath.
8. Transfer dough to parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes uncovered. Remove aluminum foil and bake another 15 to 20 minutes or until pastry turns golden brown.
9. Set aside to cool.

For the icing

1. Use fork or whisk to combine powdered sugar with 1 Tablespoon of orange juice. Add more orange juice 1 teaspoonful at a time until icing is desired consistency.
2. Stir in orange zest.
3. Drizzle icing over cooled wreath.
4. Sprinkle sliced almonds and pomegranate arils on icing before it hardens.
5. Cut and serve

Notes: If planning to make this wreath ahead of time, prepare everything up to the point of baking. Cover and refrigerate it. When ready to bake, allow wreath to come to room temperature first.