After a forced hiatus, I'm back with a new recipe for a truly delightful pastry. It's made with a cottage cheese dough and filled with a wonderfully fragrant mixture of apples and raisins, spiced with cinnamon and zest. For the dough I used smooth 9% cottage cheese, and I added orange zest to the filling — though opinions were split on that one. Those who love citrus really enjoyed it (myself included), while others said it was fine without. Either way, everyone agreed the braid turned out incredibly delicious — it didn't last a full day in our house after baking :) You can also make this braid with a different filling; I think it would be wonderful with plums or, say, peaches.
Ingredients:
- 200 g cottage cheese
- 100 g sugar
- 100 g butter
- 1 egg
- 200-250 g flour
- 1 tsp baking powder (heaping)
- Filling:
- 600 g apples
- 2-4 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp raisins
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- zest of half an orange (optional)
How to cook cottage cheese braid with apples
Mix the flour with the baking powder. Add part of the flour and stir it in with a spoon or spatula — the dough will be sticky at this stage.
Turn out onto a floured surface, add the remaining flour, and knead into a soft, pliable dough. Don't overwork it — knead just enough for the dough to absorb the flour. You may need slightly more or less flour depending on its absorption capacity (I used 200 g).
Add the sugar (the amount depends on how sweet or tart your apples are — I used 2 tbsp). Also add the raisins, cinnamon, and orange zest (the orange layer only) — all of these are optional. You can also use dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, a splash of flavored liqueur, and the like.
Fold the top edge over the filling, then cross the two uppermost cut strips over it, overlapping them.
Transfer the braid to a baking sheet — though it's quite soft, so if you're not confident in your dexterity, it's actually better to roll the dough out directly on the back of the baking sheet, shape the braid right there, and bake it without moving it at all. Sprinkle the braid with sugar.
Bake in an oven preheated to 180°, for about 25–35 minutes or until the dough is golden brown. Let the finished braid cool completely.
The braid has just one downside — apple pieces can fall out when slicing. If you'd like, you can make individual single-serving braids using the same method; it's probably even more convenient, though a bit more work. Either way, a delicious result is guaranteed :) This cottage cheese braid with apples comes out wonderfully soft and tender, and makes a perfect companion to a cup of tea, coffee, or hot cocoa!
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