These Orange Cranberry Twists make a lovely centerpiece for a holiday morning or a cozy weekend brunch.
How to Make Orange Cranberry Twists:
If you enjoy the tactile pleasure of working with yeast dough, these twists will be satisfying to assemble. The dough is scented with orange and studded with dried cranberries, giving each pastry a bright, fruity note. After mixing and kneading, the dough rests and rises until doubled in size.
Divide the dough in half and roll each portion into a rectangle. A simple sweet filling flavored with orange zest is spread over the dough, which is then folded, cut into strips, and twisted to form the classic shape.
After a final rise, the twists bake until golden. Straight from the oven, a light orange glaze is drizzled over the warm pastries, adding shine and a fresh citrus finish.
These twists are lovely arranged on a platter for a special occasion breakfast, holiday celebration, or brunch. They take some time and attention, but the results are beautiful and delicious. Think about serving them on a Christmas morning with coffee and fresh fruit for a memorable start to the day.
Orange Cranberry Twists
By: Lori Lange
A beautiful pastry for fall breakfast or brunch.
- Prep: 45 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Rising & Resting Time: 1 hr 40 mins
- Total: 1 hr 5 mins (active time)
- Servings: 28 pastries
Ingredients
Pastry Twists:
- 4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 (0.25-ounce) packages active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup salted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
Filling:
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Orange Icing:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- 2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice, to reach drizzling consistency
Instructions
Prepare the Pastries:
- In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour and the yeast; set aside.
- In a saucepan, heat the milk, sugar, butter, and salt until warm (120°F to 130°F) and the butter begins to soften. Add this mixture to the flour and yeast. Add the eggs, orange zest, and orange juice. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping the bowl constantly, then on high for 3 minutes.
- Stir in the dried cranberries and as much of the remaining flour as you can with a wooden spoon. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic, about 3 to 5 minutes total.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch down the dough and divide it in half. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Line and grease two baking sheets and set aside.
Prepare the Filling and Shape the Twists:
- In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, butter, flour, and orange zest until evenly combined.
- Roll each dough half into a 14 x 10-inch rectangle. Spread half of the filling lengthwise over half of each rectangle. Fold each rectangle in half lengthwise to cover the filling.
- Cut each filled rectangle into fourteen 1-inch-wide strips. Hold a strip at both ends and twist the ends in opposite directions. Place each twist on the prepared baking sheets, pressing the ends down to seal. Repeat with all strips. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
Prepare the Orange Icing and Bake:
- Stir together the powdered sugar, orange zest, and enough orange juice (2 to 3 tablespoons) to reach a drizzling consistency.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the twists for 15 to 18 minutes or until light brown. Remove the twists from the baking sheets immediately and place them on wire racks set over waxed paper. Drizzle warm twists with the orange icing.
Notes
- If you can use freshly squeezed orange juice and zest, the flavor will be brighter.
- To make ahead: prepare through the shaping step, cover with oiled waxed paper and plastic wrap (leave room for expansion) and chill for 2–24 hours. When ready, uncover, let stand at room temperature 35 minutes, then bake as directed. Break any surface bubbles with a greased toothpick before baking.
- To freeze: Bake and cool the twists (do not glaze). Place cooled twists in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. Reheat in a 325°F oven for 12–15 minutes or until warm, then drizzle with icing.
Nutrition (approx.)
Serving: 1 pastry — Calories: 173 kcal; Carbohydrates: 31 g; Protein: 2 g; Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Cholesterol: 23 mg; Sodium: 83 mg; Sugar: 16 g.
Nutrition information is an approximation and should be used as a guide only.