Maple puff pastry braid with pecans

I start by preheating the oven to 190ºC. Blanching the pecans is an easy way to accentuate their flavor, so I spread them out on a baking tray and put them in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes. After that, the nuts are ready for further preparation.

Meanwhile, I melt butter in a saucepan, add maple syrup, sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt to it. I cook everything together over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the ingredients come together.

Then I spread the puff pastry on a floured board and gently roll it out. I spread the resulting sauce on it, leaving about 1 cm of edge.

I sprinkle pecans on the dough, fold it in half and cut alternately on both sides, forming a braid.

When transferring the braid to a baking sheet lined with baking paper, I am careful to keep its form. To add shine and a golden color to the braid, I brush it with beaten egg.

I put the braid in the oven and bake it for about 20-25 minutes, until it turns golden.