So my attempt at getting back into my pre-pregnancy routine has failed miserably. Dinners now consist of drive by stops at the supermarket because I want something quick and easy (read: tomato soup with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese) or take out (read: Chic Fil’ A cookies and cream milkshakes are my mother blood). The days of even a quick salad doused in some vinegar (ette) are over as that braise was apparently a one time deal. Fortunately this bothers me more than my other anxious half as he is drowning his worries in a jar of nutella — and we’re talking the super plus size jar, not the normal 9-ouncer. (ahem, thanks mom!)

We’ve been taking a birthing class, and yes I know I sound totally hippy right now, but according to my hospital’s stats, 98% of us knocked up groaning women call for the anesthesiologist and their 8-inch needle before too long. And, well, not to gross you out, as I’m told it is a fact of life (but one even I must draw the line at when we are here to talk about food (yet here I go because pregnancy makes/forces you to become comfortable talking about all sorts of things, which yes I will draw the line at naming)) but we watched a birthing video and I think we are both still trying to recover from what exactly happens. Down there. To me (he just gets to sit back and watch and say haha woman, that’s what you get for nagging me about starting a family.)

Needless to say dinners have been somewhat lacking not only because of my energy but because our stomachs can’t handle a whole lot at the moment. But we have broken through and been revived with none other than a pregnancy craving for breakfast. Not the oatmeal-y muffin-ish takes we were gobbling up before, instead I wanted pastry. These flakes of buttery dough filled with something that reminds me of autumn even though my internal temperature still feels like it’s mid-August has aroused my energy levels as I am about to hang out at Whole Foods for the first time in two weeks — yes, this is take number 2.

One Year Ago: Spiced Sugar Pumpkin Doughnuts, Leek and Swiss Chard Tart, French Style Pot Roast, and Cranberry Apple Crisp with Cheddar Cheese

Spiced Apple Danish Braid
Adapted from Annie’s Eats and Baking Illustrated

Serves 6

Note: This requires what seems like an overwhelmingly large number of steps that I had neither the time nor energy to photograph, which is why I must refer you over to Annie who took pictures of the process. Also, this recipe might seem lengthy and time consuming, which is why I recommend you split this up into a two-day recipe. Make the dough on day one, place in the refrigerator over night and resume with filling and baking the following day. At least that is how I worked it since I need a total of 22 hours of sleep each and every day. I am a lion.

Dough:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup whole milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Butter Square:
12 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour

Cream Cheese Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
Zest from one lemon
3 tablespoons sugar

Apple Filling:
2 tablespoons butter
3 medium granny smith apples, peeled and sliced thin
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Glaze:
1 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
5 teaspoons milk, plus more as needed

Dough: Combine 1 1/4 cups of the flour in a bowl with the sugar, and salt.  Heat milk until slightly warm to the touch (should be slightly warmer than room temperature; if it is too warm/hot it will kill the yeast) and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add yeast to milk, stirring until yeast is disolved. Set aside mixture until the mixture starts to puff up and there are bubbles on the surface, about 3 – 5 minutes. Add egg to yeast mixture and give it a quick stir. Using the dough hook, turn the mixer on low speed and slowly add the flour mixture. Knead until a smooth ball of dough forms, about 7 – 8 minutes. (The dough will be tacky, but if more sticks to the bowl than the hook add the remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoons at a time as needed.) Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Butter Square: Toss together the butter pieces and flour on a clean work surface. Using a bench scraper smear the butter back and forth against the work surface until they have combined into a smooth homogenous mixture. Wrap the butter mixture in plastic wrap and use the edges of the plastic to form it into a 5-inch square.  Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.

Lightly dust a work surface with flour.  Lay the chilled dough on the work surface and roll into a 9-inch square. Place the butter square diagonally on top the dough. Fold the corners of dough over the butter so that they meet in the middle of the butter square. Pinch the ends of the dough together to seal. Using a rolling pin , tap the dough from the center outward until the butter begins to soften and become malleable. Gently roll the dough into an 11-inch square, re-flouring the work surface as necessary to prevent sticking. Fold the outside edges of the dough in toward the center in thirds, one overlapping the other, like a business letter. Repeat this process folding the other direction to make a square.  (This completes two turns.) Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Roll the dough into an 11-inch square once more and repeat the two turns as before (business letter, then square). Wrap in plastic wrap again and chill once more for at least 4 hours.  (At this point the dough can be refrigerated overnight, and we can be lions together).

Cream Cheese Filling: Combine the cream cheese, lemon zest and sugar in a small bowl.  Mix well until smooth and blended. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Apple Filling: Melt the butter in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat (and I expect an invite if you decide to take it a step further and brown the butter, which is of course what I did).  Combine the apple slices, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and toss well to combine.  Cook the spiced apples in the butter, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the apples are tender, about 15-18 minutes. Let cool before using.

Baking: Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.

On a large, very well floured sheet of parchment paper roll the chilled dough into a 14-inch square. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly down the middle third of the dough. Lay the apples over top of the cream cheese mixture. Using a pastry cutter or a paring knife, cut the outer thirds of dough into 3/4-inch strips so that the cuts are diagonal to the filling.

Alternating sides, fold the strips of dough over the filling, crisscrossing the strips over the center, until the entire Danish is braided. Transfer the braid, still on the parchment, to a baking sheet.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and rise at room temperature until slightly puffy (it will not double), about 30 minutes.

Bake until the braid is golden brown, 22-26 minutes, rotating halfway through baking.

To make the glaze, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.  Add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time as needed to thin the glaze.  Transfer danish to a cooking rack and let cool to room temperature. Drizzle the glaze over the braid. Slice and serve.