Braided Apple Puff Pastry

Step 1

Apples - Peel, core, and slice the apples into small cubes.

Step 2

Apple pie filling - In a large saucepan combine the apples with salt, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and flour. Combine well. Cook over medium heat until all the juices have evaporated and you have a thick-cooked apple mixture. Let cool completely. Pro tip - cook the last two minutes on medium-high to help the juices evaporate.

Step 3

Puff pastry - Roll a sheet of puff pastry into a rectangle about 13 x 9-inch approximately. Mark the puff pastry sheet into three lengthways so it will give you three panels. Keep chilledPro tip - The center panel will hold the filling and the sides will be flipped over. Ideally, the three should be approximately the same width.

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C/ Gas Mark 6

Step 5

Filling - Place the cooled apple filling in the center of the marked puff pastry evenly. Pro tip - Place the puff pastry on the baking tray lined with parchment for easy cleanup.

Step 6

Strips - Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel, cut slanting strips along both sides of the pastry.Pro tip - Cut off two corners (triangles) from the top and bottom as shown in the video

Step 7

Overlap - Braid the pastry by crossing the strips diagonally over the filling overlapping each other (see video). When you reach the end, you can overlap any excess strips or cut them off.Pro tip - Fold both ends at the top and bottom over the filling, this will prevent the filling from coming out during baking.

Step 8

Bake - Brush the pastry with egg wash or milk and sprinkle sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 to 35 minutes until the top is crisp and golden brown.

Step 9

Cool - When baked, cool in the sheet pan for 10 minutes. Use a long pallet knife or spatula to move the long pastry so it won't break.

Step 10

Serve at room temperature or warm on its own or with a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream.