Apple Strudel & Co...

Apple strudel (Apfelstrudel) is a traditional pastry of many countries, that once belonged to the Austro-Hungarian empire (Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, etc.), and is the most widely known kind of strudel.

Apple strudel consists of an oblong strudel pastry jacket with a filling of chopped apples, sugar, cinnamon, raisins and bread crumbs. Rum is sometimes used to add flavour. Other ingredients include pine nuts, walnuts, or slivered almonds. The art of preparation is in making the pastry very thin and elastic; it is said that a single layer should be so thin you could read a newspaper through it.

The filled Apfelstrudel is baked in an oven and can be served warm, usually sprinkled with powdered sugar. The preferred traditional way to serve it is while the strudel is still warm, adding sugar to taste, though vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream, are also very popular.

Apple Strudel

Dough: This is the basic recipe for strudel dough. Use packaged strudel (puff pastry) or filo pastry instead. It requires a certain
degree of skill and experience to make the dough.

2 cups flour
pinch of salt
1 - 2 tablespoons of melted butter (unsalted)
1 egg
1/2 cup lukewarm water
melted butter for brushing the pastry
powdered sugar

Place the flour and salt in a mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Add the butter, egg and water. Stir until the dough is soft and comes away from the sides of the bowl.

Transfer the dough to a floured board and knead for approximately 15 minutes or until it is soft and pliable.

Depending on the number of strudels to be made, divide the dough into 2 or 3 portions, and with a pastry brush, lightly brush the pieces with butter so they do not dry out. Cover the dough with the heated mixing bowl and allow it to stand for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425F.

Place a large cloth onto the pastry board and on top of this roll out one of the pieces of dough with a warm rolling pin, ensuring that the dough does not stick. Brush it frequently with melted butter. Using your hand, spread out the sheet of dough as thinly as possible. Try to shape the piece into a rectangular form so that it will be easier to roll into the strudel. When the dough has been stretched to the desired thickness and shape, place the filling on it, leaving a 1 inch margin of dough on each side. Roll the strudel into shape with the aid hen the strudel is baked, let it stand for a few minutes. Sprinkle it with powdered sugar and serve it cut into 2 inch thick slices. Vanilla sauce is a nice addition.