Walnut Filled Braid

Look what Zoe and I made! Zoe wanted to cook something, so we browsed through my red and white checked Better Homes and Garden cookbook and came across this Walnut-Filled Braid. It turned out to be very impressive looking! Family verdict: Everyone says it's extremely delicious! I will need to make it again!

Walnut-Filled Braid
-from the Better Homes & Garden New Cook Book (11th Edition)

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 to 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 package or 1 scant Tbs yeast
  
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk (oops, I forgot this, but it still turned out great!)
• 1/3 cup apple, current or mixed fruit jelly
• 1 1/2 cups ground walnuts (ground in food processor)
• 1 egg white
• 1 Tbs water

Directions

1. In large mixing bowl, stir together 1 3/4 cup flour, and yeast. In medium saucepan heat and stir milk, sugar, butter and salt just until warm and butter almost melts. Add milk mixture to dry mixture along with the whole eggs and egg yolk. Beat with electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using wooden spoon stir in in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3-5 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Place dough in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (for about 1 hour, I put the bowl in the oven with only the oven light on)
3. Meanwhile, for filling, in a small saucepan or microwave, heat jelly just until melted. Stir into walnuts; set aside. In a small mixing bowl beat together egg white and water.
   
4. Punch dough down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly grease a baking sheet.
5. Roll each portion of the dough into a 12x10-inch rectangle. Cut each rectangle into three 10x4-inch strips. Spread a scant 3 Tbs of the filling down the center of each strip. Brush egg white mixture on edges. Fold long sides of dough over filling.
6. To shape, place the 3 filled ropes, seam sides down, 1-inch apart on half of baking sheet. Loosely braid the ropes of dough, working from the center to each end. Press the ends together and tuck under the loaf. Braid the three remaining ropes. Brush loaves with some of the egg white mixture. Cover and let rise till nearly double (about 30 minutes). Brush loaves again with egg white mixture.
7. Bake in a 350degree oven for about 30 minutes or till bread sounds hollow when you tap the top with your fingers (if necessary, cover loosely with foil the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning). Immediately remove bread from baking sheet. Cool on wire racks. Makes 2 loaves.