Apple Pie Braid

 I'm an apple lover, and when I say lover, I mean I'll choose to make anything apple over anything else.  I've been trying to get out of this habit, but apples are just so good, all year round and they compliment so many foods, even savory ones. I've had dough that I made sitting in the fridge and it's been calling my name; I resisted as I was craving hand pies but not the time to make them with my daughter becoming increasingly impatient with me while I'm in the kitchen. I guess she may be a tad jealous of my love for cooking, but if only she knew, my heart would always truly belong to her. 

I'm not a fan of shortening in pie crusts or dough. I don't think you get the flakey light crust, the heavenly taste or feel like you do when you use butter. I was also ecstatic to find another blogger who agreed with this and made a delicious dough that I could use. I have my own recipe my family has used forever but I think hers will now by my go to. Its just so good, and simple. This is not like a other braid recipes that uses actual bread dough with yeast. It's far better.

This post is suppose to be about this delicious dessert BUT, let me direct your attention elsewhere for a second. If you've never heard of Scoutmob, you've been missing out. I love the site with a burning passion, as strong as my passion is for baking, I'm also about supporting local businesses, buying local, and supporting small businesses Now, as I'm overseas it's much harder to do that but Scoubtmob makes it easier. My husband knew I needed a new cutting board and a rolling pin and he bought this custom made from Richwood Creations. When you buy from him, you're also giving to children in his area. If you're stationed overseas as well, or just overseas and want to buy you will have to use shipittoapo.com or an other site that will ship over. That's the only down fall but totally worth it in my eyes. Supporting a cause and a small business, what's better than that?

My husband wins so many husband award points for this score and the thought behind it. My rolling pin says 'made with passion & love' and the cutting board has our wedding date. To have someone understand the love I put in when I'm cooking and baking, makes me just want to cry. I'm definitely lucky in life and love. What a keeper, and I'm so thankful to have a love like this.

Anyway, enough with the sappy stuff, onto the recipe....

Ingredients:

For the dough I used: smitten kitchen (see for instructions)

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 sticks unsalted, very cold butter

1 egg (used for egg wash later)

You will half the dough and wrap in plastic wrap and place within the refrigerator until ready to use, if not using within a week, freeze it for future use. 

For the apple pie filling:

3-4 large apples (I used pink lady apples)

one sliced lemon

3 tbsp brown sugar

cinnamon

ground cloves

cardamom

nutmeg

For the glaze:

1/3 cup powdered sugar

5 tsp heavy whipping cream

a pinch of salt and vanilla extract

I wanted a slight chai taste within my apple pie, you can use whatever spices you deem tasty for your apple pie. I also didn't measure them as I spiced to my own taste. 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, which is also a bit more than 200 C - on my german oven it says max after 200 C. Flour a surface and roll dough out. I have no method to my madness, I just rolled it until it was my desired thickness. Close to 16 x 8 but it just honestly need to be a nice even circle. Once rolled out, move to a lightly greased cookie sheet, (preferably with wax paper or foil to reduce sticking and burning) make 1 inch cuts on both sides of the dough so you can braid, leaving the middle untouched as the apples will go here.

After that is done, set a medium pan on medium high heat. While the pan is heating, peel and chop apples to the size of your choice. Mix ingredients together and squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the apples. Bring to a boil and mix together until tender - about 5 to 10 minutes. Let apples cool a bit before adding to your dough.

Add apples within the middle of dough and start folding one over the other. Left to right or right to left, however you prefer. It's very easy and you can't go wrong. Now that you're finished you will now mix the egg with a little water to apply the egg wash to the braid and place into the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a nice golden brown.

Place onto a cooling rack with paper towel under to catch drippings from glaze. It's best if the glaze is brushed on while apple braid is cooling. The glaze will be a thicker texture, and that is how it should be. It will become thinner as brushed over hot braid.

Serve warm with ice-cream or your favorite glass of wine.