The braided apple and walnut pastries are delicious and fragrant puff pastry treats with a creamy and crunchy filling. I had a roll of puff pastry nearing its expiration and wanted to make some breakfast treats, so I thought of making braided pastries with a simple yet delicious filling, slightly caramelized, that truly evokes the taste of autumn, winter, and Christmas. The braided apple and walnut pastries are fragrant and delicious; with just one roll, you’ll get 12 treats that are perfect not only for breakfast but also for a snack or dessert, ideal with tea, herbal tea, or hot chocolate, even during the Christmas holidays, prepared in just a few minutes and guaranteed to impress!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 12 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven, Electric oven, Air fryer
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Christmas
Ingredients
- 1.75 oz walnut halves
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 apples
- 1 roll puff pastry (rectangular)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 egg (for brushing)
- 1/2 cup water
- to taste powdered sugar and cinnamon for topping
Steps
The braided apple and walnut pastries are very simple and quick to make. First, prepare the filling: peel the apples and cut them into small pieces.
Put the apples in a pan and add the sugar, a tablespoon of butter, cinnamon and let it cook until the butter has completely melted. At this point, add the water, cover with a lid and continue cooking for about ten minutes without stirring, the water should completely evaporate. Once cooked, add almost all the chopped walnuts (save some for decoration) and give it a stir.
Unroll the puff pastry and cut it into 4 vertical and 3 horizontal parts, thus obtaining 12 rectangles.
Cut the sides of each pastry piece into a fishbone pattern and fill the center with some filling. Fold the top part and braid the pastry edges, folding them over the filling alternately. Fold the bottom part before braiding the last pair of edges, ensuring the filling doesn’t spill out during baking.
Place the braided apple and walnut pastries on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (you can use the one from the pastry), brush the top with beaten egg, add the remaining chopped walnuts and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 20 minutes, until golden.
Finish the braided apple and walnut pastries with a dusting of powdered sugar and cinnamon.
Advice:
The braided apple and walnut pastries can be stored at room temperature for 4/5 days. If you don’t like cinnamon, you can omit it or replace it with a few drops of lemon juice. I made 12 small pastries, finding them more enticing and easier to eat, but you can also make fewer but larger ones.
Other apple and walnut dessert recipes HERE
