Tasty Tuesday - Threaded Apple Pastry

Threaded Apple Pastry
for Warped by Maurissa Guibord

Threaded Apple Pastry

Like the braids of this flaky pastry, Tessa and William in Warped by Maurissa Guibord, become entwined within the warping of a tapestry that holds William hostage. Tessa and William are threaded together through the ages and complement each other like the tart apples and sweet apples in the tart.

Apple filling:

5-6 large apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 1/2 Tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
dash of salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 egg, beaten

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.  Let the mixture sit to thicken while you make the pastry.

Pastry:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of baking powder
1 cup cold unsalted butter
1 egg
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup cold water
1 egg white
1 teaspoon water

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.  Cut the cold butter into 1/2 inch cubes.  Mix the butter into the flour mixture with your hands, pinching the butter until the ingredients resembles coarse cornmeal.

In a small bowl whisk the egg, vinegar and cold water. Stir into the dry ingredients mixture.  Mix with  your hands until you can form a firm ball.

Roll the pastry dough into a large rectangle. Roll the rectangle onto your rolling pin and unroll the dough onto a baking pan.  Place the apple filling down the center of the rectangle, leaving at least 3 inches on each side of the filling.  Using a butter knife, cut diagonal slits in the pastry dough, from the filling outward. Continue the slits the length of the dough, forming 1 inch strips of pastry on each side of the filling.  Fold the top and bottom of the pastry in first followed by the strips of pastry over each other like a braid.

In a small bowl beat the egg white and 1 teaspoon water.  Brush the braided pastry with the egg.

Bake at 375 for 35 minutes until the top crust is a golden brown.