Apple strudel recipe

Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes

Apple strudel (Strudel di mele)

Apple strudel (strudel di mele) is a very popular cake in Italy and, from its name, we can also easily understand its origins. Austria is the strudel homeland and the recipe found popularity in those regions of Italy (North East) subjected to the Austro-Hungarian empire ruling of the 19th century. Trentino Alto Adige region of Italy, a region where many of its inhabitants still speak German despite being Italian, is the main promoter of this wonderful cake, thanks to its cultural connections with Austria. In my family Strudel has always been very popular thanks to my mother, who comes from an area of Italy bordering with Austria and Slovenia (Tarvisiano). However, considering that the recipe contains raisins, pine kernels, cinnamon etc., its true origins can be probably traced back to the Middle East culinary tradition; in fact the strudel has some remote affinities with the Turkish Baklava. How did it go to Austria? Well, Turkish invasions that took place in East Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries could be the answer. Anyway, here I will show you how to make it and I will try my best to keep it simple and effective.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8
Calories 650 kcal

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Ingredients
 

  • 1 Ready rolled puff pastry sheet I bought the ready rolled puff pastry sheet in the supermarket, size about 350 mm x 225 mm (14" x 9"). Supermarkets  nowadays offer a wide range of choices. You can also make the strudel using filo pastry, but you need to use about 6 layers, one on the top of each other and each layer needs to be brushed with melted butter.
  • 4 Apples (medium size)
  • Juice from half a lemon
  • 60 grams (2 1/2 oz) raisins
  • 100 ml (4 fl oz) Dark rum – about a glass
  • 60 grams (2 1/2 oz) Pine kernels
  • 50 grams (2 oz) Sugar
  • 50 grams (2 oz) Apricot preserve
  • Orange zest from one orange
  • 2-4 grams (1/2 tbs or 1 tbs) Ground cinnamon – depending on your taste
  • 30 grams (slightly more than 1 oz) Breadcrumbs
  • 10 grams (1/2 oz) Butter
  • 1 Egg yolk
  • 15 ml (1 tbs) Milk
  • Icing sugar for dusting

Instructions

  • Firstly, 1 hour before you start making the strudel, soak the raisins into the glass of rum.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • After 1 hour, separate the raisins from the rum using a sieve.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Put the raisins into a small container and set aside. Keep the rum; at a later stage we will use some of it (2 or 3 dessert spoons will be added to the strudel filling).
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Next, peel and slice the apples (into small slices about 2-3 mm thick). Put the slices into a large bowl.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Add some lemon juice and mix to distribute the lemon juice all over the apple slices.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Add the raisins.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Add the pine kernels.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Add the orange zest.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Add the cinnamon.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Add the sugar.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Add the apricot preserve.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Finally, add 2 or 3 dessert spoons of rum. And the rest, drink it!
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Mix everything together to evenly distribute the various ingredients.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Cover the bowl with cling film and set it aside in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it as filling.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Now, put the butter into a pan over a medium heat. When the butter starts bubbling, add the breadcrumbs and toast for few minutes until lightly brown.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • This is what you should have.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Put the breadcrumbs into a small bowl to cool down.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Meanwhile, spread some flour onto a working surface.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Unroll your pastry and start stretching it with a rolling pin. Usually ready rolled pastry is too thick for the purpose of making strudel, so you need to enlarge the sheet and make it thinner (about 2 mm thick).
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Next, drag the sheet over a tea towel and give it a gentle stretch using your hands. Then you can cut the border with a pastry wheel, just to give the sheet a decent rectangular shape!
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Next, spread the breadcrumbs over the pastry sheet.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Then, take the large bowl from the refrigerator and put the contents in the centre of the pastry sheet, as shown in the photograph.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Fold one side of the sheet (the longer side) over the filling. This operation will be easier if you help yourself lifting the tea towel from its corners and folding it towards the centre of the pastry sheet.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Do the same with the opposite side.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Take a large tray and cover its bottom with a layer of baking paper. Brush the paper with melted butter or margarine. At this stage switch the oven on and set it at 180ºC (355ºF).
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Next, put the egg yolk into a small bowl and add the milk.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Beat the egg yolk and milk with a fork until they are evenly mixed.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Brush the egg batter all over the strudel.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Cover the tray with foil, try to keep the area in the centre lifted. The foil will protect the strudel from burning during the first stage of cooking. Now, put the tray in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • After 30 minutes, take the tray out of the oven and remove the foil.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Put the tray back in the oven and cook for another 15 minutes.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • When finished, the strudel should look like this.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • Set the strudel onto a wire rack to cool down.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • When the strudel is tepid, cut a slice and put the slice onto a plate. Garnish with some icing sugar.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes
  • There you go! Apple strudel served with vanilla ice cream.
    Apple strudel (Strudel di mele) | Dessert Recipes

Nutrition

Calories: 650kcal
Keyword Dessert
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Categorised as Dessert

By Federico

Federico Pezzaioli is an ex-badass Italian Paratrooper on a mission - to make creating delicious authentic Italian food really easy. He researches, writes and photographs each recipe with the same attention to detail he used to apply to packing his parachute.

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