Braided Fruit Pastry

I wanted to make something special to take with us on our trip last weekend, so I turned to Pinterest for recipe ideas.  I came across this recipe for an apple braid and had to try it.  It's so simple, but looks so intricate and beautiful when finished.  To save time, I used canned pie filling, and because I thought it would travel better, I sprinkled sanding sugar on top instead of a glaze.  Later, I made another braid using apple pie filling and decided to try the glaze suggested in the original recipe.  I didn't get a chance to try it since I gave it to my neighbors as a thank you for watching our dogs over the weekend, but it looked yummy, too!

Braided Fruit Pastry

apple braid with cinnamon glaze

raspberry & apricot braids sprinkled with sugar

Ingredients: (from eatliverun.com)

for the bread:

-2 1/2 cups bread flour
-1/4 cup granulated sugar
-1 tablespoon instant yeast (one of the small packets)
-3/4 teaspoon salt
-1 cup warm water
-2 1/4 teaspoons vegetable oil

-3/4 to 1 can pie filling (21 oz. can) of your choice
-granulated sugar to sprinkle on top



for the glaze:

-1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
-5 teaspoons whipping cream
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
-Pinch of kosher salt
-Pinch of nutmeg (I used cinnamon instead)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.  Add water and oil and mix for 6 minutes using an electric mixer on medium-high speed.

sorry, it was late so the lighting is awful...

I started with my regular mixer attachment

then switched to the dough hook

2.  Spray a smooth clean surface with cooking spray and place dough in the center.  Lightly spray a rolling pin with cooking spray and roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 12" x 16".

it was raining pretty hard

so the dough came out very sticky

(it didn't the second time I made these)

but it still rolled out nicely!

3.  Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut each side into strips about 1-inch wide, leaving the middle third of the dough uncut. 

I cut the dough on the cutting board,

but the original recipe suggests moving it to the baking sheet first

4.  Spread filling down the center of the dough.  Fold strips of dough into the center, crisscrossing the filling by alternating strips from each side. Lightly press ends to seal, and straighten out the braid with your hands, if necessary, to straighten.  Sprinkle with sugar if not using the glaze.

mmm... raspberry!

5.  Place on non-stick baking sheet, and bake the braid in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the braid cool for several minutes.

I used sanding sugar, but regular granulated sugar works fine

if baking two at a time, rotate the pan half way through

to prevent uneven browning

hindsight's 20/20...

6.  If making a glaze:  Whisk together the glaze ingredients in a small bowl until blended and smooth. Brush the glaze in a thick coat over the entire surface of the apple braid while it is still cooling.  Carefully transfer the braid to a cooling rack set on a baking sheet (to catch drips) to finish cooling and prevent the bottom of the braid from becoming soggy from sitting in any pooling glaze.  Slice and serve.

printable recipe