Apple Pastry Braid

Hope it tastes good 😋

Had to get rid of some fruit before it went bad (my mother taught me well). I had 4 small apples. Watched a video on making a pastry braid filled with apples. I tried to find it on YouTube, but no luck. So, I winged it. Came out pretty good.

This is what I used:

1 Pillsbury pastry sheet, stretched with rolling pin, not too thin.

4 small apples, peeled and cored, chopped

2 TBS butter in pieces

1 tsp corn starch

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Place all of the above excluding pastry dough, in a micro wave safe bowl. Place in microwave for 3 minutes on high.

In separate small bowl place the following:

4 oz cream cheese

1 tsp cinnamon

1 TBS brown sugar

Mash the cream cheese mixture until well blended. Set aside

Prepare your cookie sheet either greased or use a silicone sheet. Roll out dough to about 12x12 inch square.

Take sharp knife or kitchen shears. Cut fringe on both sides of dough (about 3 inches long). place the fringed dough in the prepared cookie sheet.

First, place cream cheese mixture on a line in center of dough. Too with apple mixture in one line. Carefully take end of one side and cover the edge of braid. At this point take one fringe at a time and place over apples until you use ever fringe. At bottom, do the same as the first top cover with dough.

Beat egg in small bowl with tsp of water. Paint the prepared braid all over. Top with sugar (optional).

Place in 375 degree oven in center of oven 20-25 minutes.

Your kitchen will smell like a bakery!

Let's get baking!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

1 whole thin skinned orange, remove the stem and cut in quarters. Keep the skin on the oranges.

In a clean large food processor, add the orange quarters, 1 1/4 cups of sugar, three large eggs, 1 tsp of vanilla, 1 tsp of orange extract, 1 tbsp of Triple Sec liqueur, optional, 2/3 cup vegetable oil.

Pulse all ingredients in the processor and then puree until mixture becomes a batter with specs of orange peel.

Add to the processor:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Process all dry ingredients until they are entirely incorporated into the batter.

Bake in a greased and floured spring pan, using a parchment paper circle on top of the greased bottom.*

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place in the center rack of the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven.

Remove from your oven and let it cool down completely. Dust with powdered sugar or make a drizzle of 1/4 cup powdered sugar and fresh squeezed orange until thick and smooth. Pour onto the cooled fresh orange cake.

Cooking with Love

with Gianna Conte (Jan)