Apple Pie Braid

Samantha is quite the chef around here. She is never intimidated by a recipe. I don't believe in making pie crust but this experience may have converted me because the crust was amazing. (And, ahem, I helped her make the crust.) Just remember to keep that crust cold as long as you can and the magic will happen. The whole thing in the end was amazing. 

Here is a link to the entire process from the Must Love Butter blog. 

Filling: 

3-4 apples, peeled

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Crust:

2 1/2 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter (chilled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
6-8 tbsp ice water

Prepare the crust well ahead of time - you will need to chill the dough for at least an hour, but I chilled mine for several hours. Then take it out maybe 10-15 minutes before hand to soften and become workable again.

1. Mix flour, salt, and sugar in large bowl. Toss cubed butter in mixture well.

2. Using a pastry cutter (or if you have a food processor) cut the butter into the dry ingredients so that the butter turns into pea size bits. You will know you have cut into it enough if you can clump some of it together before you even start to add water.

3. Sprinkle water, tablespoon at a time, and gather the dough up with your hands until you are able to form a ball. Flatten the ball into a disk shape, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

4. Whenever your dough has chilled enough and you're ready to cook the rest of the pie, take the dough out of the fridge and when it is workable, roll out into a rectangle - or as close as you can get to it.

 5. Preheat the oven to 425 and get out a baking sheet.. if it isn't nonstick, grease well.

6. Cut the apples into slices, toss them in a large bowl with the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

 7. Move back to your dough and cut the edges so that the entire thing resembles a rectangle, then lay your dough right onto the baking sheet. Also cut "slats" about an inch apart, two inches in from the edge.. these will become the braid.

(Photo below from Must Love Butter)

 

8. Line the middle section with the apple mixture, creating enough height that the braided slats will have something to rest on and so that the entire thing isn't flat like a pancake.

9. Fold the slats over, creating a braided effect.

10. When everything is tucked in nicely, pop the braid into the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. The blog recommended covering loosely with foil - we didn't and survived. Just keep an eye on it while it's baking.

We sprinkled some powdered sugar over the top when it was done. Serve with some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. A huge hit.

PRINTABLE RECIPE