Apple Cinnamon Twist

 

I got this recipe off of someone else’s blog but can’t remember which one it was. I have tweaked it some to be egg, soy, dairy, and nut free and a little easier ( Making my own dough recipe and making the dough in the bread maker instead of by hand).

To make dough:

1 1/4 cup very warm water

1/4 cup melted butter (Earth Balance Soy Free Buttery Spread)

1/3 cup sugar

1.5 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

4 cups flour (I use all purpose)

3 teaspoons yeast (rapid rise)

Put all ingredients in the bread machine pan in order and then pick any cycle and push start. Mine kneads for about 15 min, rest 30, kneads 15 again.

While it is kneading, skin, core, and chop 2 regular apples, or 4 small apples until you have about 2 cups of chopped apple. Mix in:

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon apple pie spice

1/4 cup of melted butter (Earth Balance)

Put in refrigerator or to the side

After the second knead, take the dough out and put it on a lightly floured surface.

Divide it into three clumps and roll out into 3 separate long, flat pieces. If you don’t have a rolling pin, use a big cup that it lightly floured, that’s what I do!

(Sorry I didn’t get a picture of this because Kaylee was screaming and I was hurrying!)

Put the apple filling in a line down each of the pieces of dough and roll them up to where you have an apple filled cord. This is kind of messy and the juice of the apples comes out some. You have to play with it a long time to get it to look right. (Again, I didn’t this time because of the baby.)

When all three are rolled up, braid them and put them on parchment paper on a flat baking sheet or pan.  I find it easier to put the cords on the parchment paper in the pan before I braid.

 

Cover this with saran wrap, get a dish rag really hot with water and put it over it too. Heat your oven to 350 degrees and put it on top to rise. Let it rise for an hour.

Before putting it into the oven mix a few tablespoons melted butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar together and brush over top. You can bake it like that and it will turn out looking like this:

  

This time I had an idea to make a sugar cinnamon crust like the bagels at Panera, so I put the topping above and sprinkled regular sugar and cinnamon mixed  all over it and coated again with the melted butter. Let me tell you, it makes all the difference this way! More dessert- ish! 

 

(This one is not as pretty looking because I didn’t take my time, but it tastes sooo good!)

Bake on 350 for 30 min. Take out and put on wire rack to cool. ENJOY!