Apple Cream Danish Braid

Ingredients:

2 sheets Puff Pastry, thawed according to directions
2 1/2 c. apple pie filling (home made or store bought)
4 oz. fat free cream cheese, softened
Coarse sugar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lay out one sheet of pastry and roll out with a rolling pin so that there are not any seams (usually when you unfold one sheet there are two seams). Spread about 2 oz. of the cream cheese on top of the puff pastry in a thin layer, spreading out to the edges. Spoon half of the apple pie filling into the center of the pastry, about 3 inches wide. (see picture below)

 

 

Cut into strips on either side of the apple filling, making sure they line up on each side and have the same amount (I made about 1 inch strips, maybe 3/4 inch). Tuck the bottom over the filling, and then fold one strip over the filling. Repeat the strips, crossing over one another, until you have two left at the end. Tuck the other end up over the filling, and fold over the last two strips so that they are going in the opposite direction as the rest of the strips. Repeat for the remaining puff pastry, cream cheese and filling.

 

 

Spray the tops of both braids with non stick cooking spray. Sprinkle the tops of each with about a tablespoon of coarse sugar. Bake anywhere from 17-25 minutes. (The reason the gap in time is so large, is because it depends on how thin you roll out the dough, and how far your strips overlap. Each braid will use a minute or two less depending on how thick it ends up being). Let cool fully before slicing. I usually refrigerate mine and serve cold or room temperature. The filling tends to hold up better that way.