Apple strudel

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PRESENTATION

Strudel is a dessert typical of Trentino-Alto Adige, but its origins are Turkish. The Turks, who ruled over Hungary in the 17th century, prepared a similar apple cake known as baklava. The Hungarians adapted this recipe to create the strudel we know today. It soon caught on in Austria, which ruled over certain areas of northern Italy at one time, and this is when the Italians were introduced to this delicious dessert. Trentino-Alto Adige is now home to the secrets of strudel making. The dessert has been very successful in the region due to the numerous local apple orchards. Apples are the main ingredient used to fill this succulent roll, along with raisins, pine nuts, and cinnamon. We suggest using Golden Delicious apples for this recipe, but the original recipe calls for Rennet apples. Prepare the apple strudel, enjoy it with a steaming cup of mulled wine, and revel in its intense aroma.

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for the dough
Flour 00 1 cup (130 g)
Water 2 tbsp (30 ml)
Vegetable oil 1 tbsp (9 g)
Eggs 1 (54 g)
Salt 1 pinch
For the filling
Golden delicious apples 1.66 lbs (750 g)
Sugar ⅓ cup (60 g)
Breadcrumbs ½ cup (60 g)
Butter 3 tbsp (50 g)
Raisins ¼ cup (50 g)
Pine nuts ¼ cup (25 g)
Cinnamon powder 1 pinch
Rum 2 tbsp
Lemon peel 1
For dusting
Powdered sugar to taste
Preparation

How to prepare Apple strudel

To prepare the apple strudel, start by making the dough: Pour the sifted flour and salt 1 into a bowl, then add the egg 2 and water 3

and begin to knead with your hands 4. Then add the oil 5 and knead the mixture to form a smooth dough 6. If it’s too sticky, you can add another 1¼-2½ tbsp (10-20 g) of flour at most.

Transfer the dough to a flat surface and knead until elastic 7. When you’ve finished kneading, form a ball and transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap 8, and leave to rest for an hour in a cool place. In the meantime, soak the raisins in rum, or warm water if you prefer; melt 2 tbsp (30 g) of butter in a frying pan and toast the breadcrumbs 9 when it begins to sizzle.

Stir with a wooden spoon to keep the breadcrumbs from burning and brown for a few minutes 10, then turn off the heat and leave to cool. Next, peel the apples, remove the cores, cut them into four wedges, and then into thin slices. Add the apples to a large bowl with the sugar 11, pine nuts 12,

grated lemon peel 13, a pinch of cinnamon 14, and the raisins, which must be well drained and squeezed 15: The ingredients must release their aromas but they must not be allowed to steep for too long, or else the sugar will make them release too much water.

Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan over a low heat. Then take the dough ball and roll it out on a lightly floured dish towel 16 to form a rectangle measuring approximately 14x18 inches (35x45 cm) 17. Brush the surface, except for the edges, with a little melted butter, and sprinkle with toasted breadcrumbs; this layer will absorb the juices that the apples release during cooking 18.

Place the apple mixture on top 19, then roll the strudel up from the longest side 20, taking care not to break the pastry (you can use the dish towel to help you). Seal the sides 21 of the strudel as well so that the contents do not come out during cooking.

Then place the strudel on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with the sealed end at the bottom. Brush with melted butter (22-23) before placing in the oven. Cook the strudel in a conventional oven preheated to 390°F (200°C) for approximately 40 minutes (260°F (180°C) for 30 minutes if using a convection oven). Once cooked 24, sprinkle the strudel with powdered sugar and serve it warm, cut into slices.

Storage

The apple strudel can be stored under a glass cake dome for 1-2 days. It can be frozen if the ingredients you used were fresh, i.e., not defrosted.

Interesting fact

Depending on where it’s made, strudel can also be prepared with puff pastry or shortcrust pastry. It can also be made with other types of fruit such as pears, cherries, or apricots. A savory version can even be made using vegetables or sauerkraut.

Tips

Strudel can also be made with puff pastry, but the traditional version of the recipe calls for the special pastry that we’ve described in this recipe. If you want to finish your dessert perfectly, serve it (always warm or hot) with cinnamon-sprinkled whipped cream on the side.