Cran-Apple Braided Pastry

The Inspiration…

Thanksgiving morning is a tricky thing. If you have ever been responsible for cooking on Thanksgiving, you know that you must be an early riser that day. When I wake up early to cook, I am always famished. But, on Thanksgiving I want to save my appetite for the big meal!! This recipe is light enough to snack on throughout the morning and not ruin your appetite for dinner. It combines familiar “Thanksgiving flavors” such as apple and cranberry, but puts it in an easy to eat, hand-held form. It looks impressive but is ultimately super easy to make. Perfect for a day when you are going to be spending hours in the kitchen and don’t want to add to your (figurative) plate.

Start by adding the butter, sugar, apples, and cranberries to a saucepan. You can really use any apples in the recipe. I happened to have a few Honey Crisp apples in my fruit bowl so that’s what I used today. I’ve also used Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji, and Pink Lady apples. They were all delicious in this recipe. Let this simmer together until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens up a bit, but the apples still maintain their integrity. We’re not trying to make cran-apple sauce, here. Once that is done, set aside to cool slightly.

While the cran-apple mixture cools, unfold your puff pastry and roll out slightly, adding approximately 2 inches to the length. The easiest method I’ve found to roll it out is to start with your rolling pin halfway up the pastry sheet, and roll upwards. Next start again at the halfway point and roll downwards. Apply even pressure with both hands. Here you can see a before and after photo.

The next part is where you’ll create the flaps which form the criss-cross pattern of the pastry. You’ll need to cut the corners off each pastry and then make diagonal slits about 1/2” apart down each side. See picture below.

The middle section, left uncut, is where you will pile your apple mixture. Then you’ll want to fold over the top and bottom, then alternate folding the flaps over, right then left, creating a “braided” pattern. My niece says it looks more like a mummy than a braid. She’s not wrong. This could be cute for a Halloween treat. Just add a couple candy eyes!

Once you have “mummified” your pastries, mix together the egg wash (egg and water) and brush across the top of each. Top with turbinado sugar. Turbinado sugar has a large, coarse crystal which has a slight molasses flavor. If you don’t have turbinado sugar, you can use any coarse sugar crystals, or skip it altogether.

Bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes. The top should be golden brown and puffy. Remove and let cool before icing. The almond icing really is the “icing on top”. It complements the tangy flavor of the pastry filling, and you’ll want to lick the bowl clean!! This pastry will be a hit year-round!

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Cran-Apple Braided Pastry

Yield: 12

Author: Julia Goodrich

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 10 MinTotal time: 45 Min

The sweetness of the apples is complimented by the tart cranberries in this stunning pastry. The almond icing elevates the flavors. You'll be sure to impress your guests at brunch with this recipe!

Ingredients

• 2 sheets of puff pastry, thawed
• 3 large apples. peeled and sliced
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 TBSP salted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 TBSP water
• 1 TBSP turbinado sugar
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 TBSP milk
• 1 tsp almond extract

Instructions

1. In a saucepan combine the butter, sugar, apples, and cranberries. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes. The cranberries should have burst, and a thick sauce should be forming. The apples should still have some structure to them. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
3. Take one sheet of puff pastry, unfold, and roll out using a rolling pin until you've added approximately 2 inches in length. Repeat the process with the second sheet.
4. Cut off the corners of the puff pastry and make slits diagonally, about 1/2 inch apart, along each side. (See photos.)
5. Once the apple mixture has cooled slightly, place the apples in the center of the puff pastry, then fold over the tops and sides, alternating to create a criss-cross design.
6. Transfer pastries to a parchment or silicon mat lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash (one egg mixed with 1 TBSP water).
7. Top each pastry with 1/2 TBSP turbinado sugar.
8. Bakes for 18-22 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and puffy.
9. While the pastries bake, mix together the powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract to form the icing.
10. Let pastries cool before icing, then drizzle the icing evenly across both pastries.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

331.47

Fat

19.88

Sat. Fat

6.51

Carbs

35.74

Fiber

2.33

Net carbs

33.39

Sugar

14.92

Protein

3.68

Sodium

141.91

Cholesterol

23.88

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.