How to make a pumpkin pecan braid

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and egg yolk. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans.
2. Unroll dough onto cookie sheet; firmly press edges and perforations to seal. Press to form 13x7-inch rectangle. Spread filling in 3 1/2-inch-wide strip lengthwise down center of dough rectangle to within 1 inch of ends.  
3. With a paring knife, make cuts 1 inch apart on long sides of dough rectangle just to edge of filling. Fold strips at an angle across filling, overlapping ends and alternating from side to side. 
4. Beat egg white in small bowl until foamy; brush over dough for glossy finish.
5. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet; place on serving platter.  
6. In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and enough milk for desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle over pumpkin pecan braid. 
7. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of pecans.  

 

Pastry brush
Cookie sheet
Mixing bowl
Paring knife

Braid:
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)  
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon  
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg  
1 egg, separated  
1/2 cup chopped pecans  
1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls  

Glaze:  
1/2 cup powdered sugar  
2 to 3 teaspoons milk  
1 tablespoon chopped pecans  

LISA: Hi I’m Lisa Birnbach for howdini.com and this is Lauren Chattman for Pillsbury. If you’re looking for a way to jazz up breakfast, this pumpkin pecan braid will do the trick. I know it tastes great because as a journalist I felt it was my responsibility to try it and then try some more. But Lauren I don’t know how you braided it like this.

LAUREN: I’m going to show you and you’re not going to believe how easy it is.

LISA: Okay.

LAUREN: We start off with refrigerated crescent rolls and I’ve got some out here on this cookie sheet. I’m just going to finish rolling them out into one big sheet. And then what we’re going to do is close up these perforations because we’re not making rolls, we’re making that beautiful pastry and we don’t want any of our filling to leak out. And the next thing we’re going to do is press it out into a larger rectangle.

LISA: Okay.

LAUREN: The cookie sheet is greased. It’s nice to make it right on the cookie sheet; you don’t have to worry about transferring the whole pastry to the sheet because it’s already on. Okay that looks about right.

LISA: Mm-hmm.

LAUREN: And now it’s time to make the filling. We’ve got some pumpkin puree here mixed with an egg yolk and some spices. We’ve got cinnamon and nutmeg and we’re going to put our pecans in. I think you say pecans, I say pecans.

LISA: I say tomatoes.

LAUREN: So we’ll stir that in and then we’re going to place it in the center of the dough.

LISA: How many people are we feeding with this by the way?

LAUREN: I would say six to eight.

LISA: Okay.

LAUREN: And then we’re just going to flatten it a little bit. Okay what we’re going to do is cut one-inch slits along the dough all down one side. And do it down this side. When it’s finished the braid looks really beautiful.

LISA: Yeah.

LAUREN: And now the braiding part. You’re going to braid this just as if—you’re going to do a little crisscrossing. If any of those openings start to—the slits open up you can start to just press them together. All right so that’s all braided up. We’re going to cover up all of the filling. And now, we’ve got a beaten egg white here.

LISA: Mm-hmm.

LAUREN: We’re just going to brush that on top. That’s going to give it that nice glossy look that you saw on the finished one.

LISA: Mm-hmm.

LAUREN: Just finishing up the egg wash and this is ready to go into the oven.

LISA: Okay for how long?

LAUREN: Twenty to thirty minutes at 350-degrees should do it.

LISA: Let’s pretend that those thirty minutes have just elapsed and look at that braid.

LAUREN: Perfect. Looks good doesn’t it?

LISA: Yes it does.

LAUREN: It’s going to look even better in another minute. I’ve got the white icing here.

LISA: Now how did you make that?

LAUREN: This is just a little bit of confectionary sugar and a little bit of milk. Very, very simple—

LISA: That’s it?

LAUREN: That’s it.                      

LISA: Does every woman know this? Is this part of our DNA that I missed?         

LAUREN:  Well no you have to read a cookbook or two. Are you ready?

LISA: Mm-hmm.

LAUREN:  This just gets drizzled over like that back and forth.

LISA: Mm-hmm.

LAUREN:  Back and forth. There’s a little bowl of pecans. Sprinkle them on.

LISA: Okay.

LAUREN:  Before the icing dries. All right that looks great.

LISA: How is that?

LAUREN:  Perfect!

LISA: Great Lauren. Wow. If you’re looking for more great ideas for breakfast, or any meal, check out Pillsbury.com. Thank you.

LAUREN:  That was fun.

LISA: It was. I’m Lisa Birnbach for howdini.