So can we discuss fall for a few minutes? It’s that time of year that the leaves change to these gorgeous yellow, gold, orange and reds. The weather turns a little colder and you can’t help but associate it with these warm cozy feelings.
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It certainly looks and feels like fall outside and that also means leaves falling, pumpkins and gourds are all around us, and of course my favorite, apples. Apples of any kind that are baked in pies, cakes, cookies, and scones you name it, I just love it.
This recipe is a simple one that with not too much time on your hands you can make it too. It looks impressive and tastes just as good as it looks. My kids came into the house and couldn’t wait to try it. I love that its rustic and it doesn’t need to look all that perfect which also means anyone can make it and it will come out looking amazing. I like to use granny smith apples. I love the tartness of the apple and it holds its shape because you will need to cook your apples a bit and this will leave you a beautiful presentation with the apple slices peeking out of the pastry log. I start by peeling and coring 3 Granny Smith Apples, those are the green one for those not so familiar with them, and I slice them into thin equal slices. I then take my apples and place them in a pot with water, sugar, vanilla, flour and cinnamon , and cook it on a medium flame mixing often and watching them until the apples are soft and pliable but not mushy, this take about 5-10 minutes. I then roll out a puff pastry sheet and place my apples in a row down the center leaving the sides empty to we can create a braid like affect. I then cut slits on both sides of the puff pastry and cross them over each other until I reach the bottom of the pastry. I then brush on an egg wash and sprinkle turbinado sugar and bake for about 25 minutes on 350 degrees then raise the temperature to 375 degrees for 5-10 minutes more until golden and puffed up. You can serve it warm with ice cream, but tastes great at room temperature sprinkled with some powdered sugar as well.
- 3 Granny Smith Apples
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp flour
- Pinch cinnamon
- Half tsp vanilla
- 1 Puff pastry sheet rolled out
- 1 egg
- Turbinado sugar (aka: sugar in the raw)
- Peel, Core, and slice apples thin and even.
- In a pot place apples water sugar flour cinnamon and vanilla and mix well.
- Turn heat onto medium/low and cover pot keeping an eye and mixing often so that the apples don’t get mushy and will be soft just cooked through and easy to handle, this will take 5-10 minutes.
- Roll out puff pastry to thin it out a bit on a piece of parchment paper.
- Place apples in the center of the pastry in neat rows.
- Cut the pastry on a diagonal along both sides of the apples.
- From each end alternate folding over the apples so that it overlaps in the middle.
- Beat egg and brush an egg wash on the pastry dough.
- Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25 min then raise temperature to 375 degrees for 5-10 minutes more until golden and puffed up.
- (It might leak out the sides a bit but the flour will help bind the juices)
