Easy Apple Walnut Braid
 
Makes about 8 Servings
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 5 cups ¼-inch-sliced Honeycrisp apple
  • ½ cup apple cider
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 1 (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
  • 3 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
  • ½ cup chopped toasted walnuts, divided
  • ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2½ tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • Dash kosher salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add apple; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add cider; cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Remove from skillet; let cool for 10 minutes.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 2 teaspoons water.
  4. Unfold 1 pastry sheet on prepared pan. Brush a 1-inch strip of egg wash along 1 end of pastry. Unfold remaining pastry sheet, and place 1 end over egg wash strip. Lightly press to join pastry together, creating about a 17x9½-inch rectangle.
  5. In another small bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, and pie spice.
  6. With short side of pan facing you, sprinkle brown sugar mixture lengthwise down center third of dough. Spoon apples onto brown sugar mixture; sprinkle with ¼ cup walnuts. Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut 1-inch diagonal strips on both sides of filling. Fold top and bottom pieces over filling, and fold strips of dough diagonally over filling, alternating left and right. Lightly brush top with egg wash.
  7. Bake until golden brown and puffed, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on pan for 30 minutes.
  8. In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, cream, cardamom, and salt, and drizzle over braid. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup walnuts.
Recipe by Taste of the South at https://tasteofthesouthmagazine.com/easy-apple-walnut-braid/