Ok people, buckle up for a wild fall ride. Today we are talking apple. With Thanksgiving over, fall is almost over! As sad as this is, I think now is the perfect time to make one last fall recipe. These apple pastry twists are flavored with apple butter, fresh shredded apple, and fall spices. Then we have a lovely espresso maple glaze, another autumnal flavor that pairs amazingly with apple.
Let me just tell you, there is nothing better then waking up on a cool autumn morning, to bite into one of these warm.
The Pastry
These are pretty labor intensive, I won’t lie about that. We are pretty much making a good rough puff pastry, which takes a long time and has lots of steps. But that’s how you get those nice flakey layers. I highly recommend starting the doughy the day before. This will limit your time waiting around. We are using a shortcut pastry dough, which is when we mix in pieces of cold butter right into the dough. This will provide that flakey texture, but is easier then rough or full puff pastry. We are also going to be using a simplified version of the lamination process. What is the lamination process you ask? It’s when we repeatedly fold the dough into itself and roll it back out. What’s the purpose? It’s just another way of getting those flakey layers.
The Filling
The filling for these fall pastries is so simple, and yet so so so delicious! We spread on a good amount of apple butter, I like to use this homemade recipe, but you can always just use store bought. Then we sprinkle on some shredded apple to give these pastries a fresh apple taste. I always use honey crisp, but you can use any type you like. Finally, we add a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar to intensify those fall flavors. Then its time to shape them!
Step but Step: How do I Shape These?
Now that we have the dough and the filling, how do we shape them? We start by cutting them into sixteen strips, roughly an inch wide. Then we place each of those strips on top of each other to make sure the filling is sealed inside.
Then we cut that in half to create two strips. Twist them separately and then roll them into a swirl.
Thats it. It might seem a little complicated but its actually pretty simple. You can tell by the pictures that this is a very messy process and requires some patience.
The Glaze
For these lovely fall pastries, I wanted an equally fall tasting glaze. I have always thought of maple as being a fall flavor so that’s what I landed on. We start by slightly browning some butter. I find that the nuttiness you get from this compliments the maple and apple well. Then we add in the maple syrup, confectioners sugar, espresso powder, and salt. Next, just barely whip some cream and whisk that in. This provides a creamy flavor to the glaze, which is a nice contrast to the tart apple in the pastries. As the glaze cools on the pastries, it will stiffen up somewhat.
Apple Butter Pastries with Espresso Maple Glaze
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk the warm water, yeast, and one tablespoon of the granulated sugar together in a large bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5-10 minutes. The mixture should become foamy on top. If not then your yeast is dead and you should start over with new yeast. Whisk in the remaining sugar, milk, egg, and salt. Cover the bowl lightly with that same kitchen towel and set aside.
- Cut the butter into roughly tablespoon sized pieces. Add that to a food processor and pour 2 ½ cups of flour on top. Pulse the mixture 12-15 times or until the butter is in pea sized pieces. You can use a pastry cutter for this step, but I find that a food processor works best.
- Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Using a spatula, carefully fold everything together until just combined. You should be able to see chunks of butter, that’s what gives us those deliciously flakey layers. Turn the shaggy dough onto a piece of cling wrap, and wrap up tightly. Refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours, and up to two days.
- Once chilled, we can begin the rolling and folding process. Very generously flour a work surface, a rolling pin, and your hands. Roll the dough into a 15×8 inch rectangle. Make sure to keep flouring your surface as you work, because the more the butter melts in the dough, the stickier it will be. Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter. Then roll that rectangle into a 15×8 rectangle and repeat the process. Do this a total of 3 times. Once finished, wrap up the dough in cling wrap tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- In the last few minutes of chilling time prepare the filling. Shred your apple and pat it dry with a few paper towels to get rid of some of the excess liquid. Set aside. In a small bowl toss together the granulated sugar and cinnamon until combined.
- Line two baking sheets with a silicon baking mat or parchment paper.
- Once chilled, we can begin shaping our pastries. On a generously floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 17×16 rectangle. Spread an even layer of apple butter on top. Then sprinkle/place the shredded apple evenly on top of the apple butter. Finally, sprinkle 3 teaspoons of the cinnamon sugar on top. Using a pizza cutter or a knife cut 16 roughly one inch strips, longways. This can get a little messy, but just go with it. Look at the pictures above for reference. Place one strip on top of another and pinch the sides to seal. Then, slice this in half vertically. Twist one of the strips into itself and then roll it into a circle, sort of like a cinnamon roll. Repeat with the other half of the strip. Repeat this whole process with the rest of the strips.
- Place the rolls three inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Chill the finished rolls while the oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Once preheated, remove the pastries from the oven and, using a pastry brush, brush the tops with the beaten egg. Top generously with the remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake the pastries for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are browned. Place on a wire cooling rack to cool for at least 10 minutes before beginning the glaze.
- In a small bowl, whip the cream with a whisk until soft peaks form. This is when the cream will stay on a spoon, but does not form stiff peaks. Set aside. In a small saucepan brown the butter. It will melt and then begin to sizzle and foam. You will then see brown specks. Keep an eye on it, stirring frequently until browned. Then add the maple syrup, which will sizzle and splash, so be careful! Remove from the heat and stir in the espresso powder, confectioners sugar, and a pinch of salt. Using a whisk, stir in the whipped cream until combined. Allow the glaze to cool for 5 minutes.
- Drizzle the glaze over the slightly cooled pastries. I highly recommend eating them while warm, but they are good either way. Pastries stay fresh up to 4 days.
One thought on “Apple Butter Pastries with Maple Espresso Glaze”