I talked about the backstory on this recipe in yesterday's post, but I will add a few notes. If you have never had an apple strudel, think apple pie with less crust. This is a very old recipe that came from a church cookbook, so I have made a few notations of my own to make it easier. The toughest part of making a strudel is either rolling the crust out or getting it into the pan, which really is tougher than it sounds. (I'll explain when I get there.) If you can get past that, you're golden! I recommend reading the recipe completely and thoroughly before starting, so you can get a better game plan. Enjoy!
Ingredients:8-10 medium apples, peeled & chopped into small chunks
2 C. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 C. butter/margarine, melted
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C. milk, near boiling (This is best done by microwaving for appx. 30 sec.-1 min)
Chopped nuts, Cinnamon, Sugar, Brown sugar, etc., for inside
Extra melted butter
Directions:Put flour into a medium bowl. Make a hole in the middle of the flour and add salt, melted butter, & beaten egg. Then, add milk. Mix and knead til smooth. Put the warm bowl ober the dough and let stand 10 minutes.
(Here is where it gets hairy, so hang in there!)
Divide dough into two. One at a time, you will proceed to roll the dough into about a 12x16 rectangle. The biggest key to success is keeping your surface floured, and flipping the dough often. Make sure that the dough is thin, but not so thin that holes will easily form.
When the dough is rolled to your specifications, brush the crust with some of the extra melted butter. Place about half of the apple pieces down the center of the dough. I should also mention that you might not have to use quite that much, but it all depends. You don't want too many apples on there, or else it will tear the delicate crust. (It's always better to have too many apples than not enough.)
Next, you will add some of the extras to flavor the apples. We usually use a blend of cinnamon, sugar, brown sugar, and nutmeg. If you have it, apple pie spice would work wonderfully. I recommend using sugar of some sort, because it forms a nice caramel-like juice in the bottom of the pan. We always chop up some pecans for an added crunch, but I know there are many people with an aversion to that, so use your judgement. Walnuts would also be delicious, if you have some on hand. After it is spiced to your taste, roll up the crust, burrito-style. Before sealing the crust, we usually put a little bit of melted butter along the edge to help it stick together some. Then, you will place the "loaf" into a greased 13x9 baking pan. It will be long, and somewhat heavy, so this takes a bit of finagling, but is completely doable.
Once you get the first "loaf" done, you will repeat the entire process for the other half of the dough. After you have both loaves in the pan, brush both with the remainder of the melted butter, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 30-45 minutes in a 350-degree oven, until golden brown.
Notes:-When rolling out the dough, I cannot stress how important it is to incorporate more flour. That is the key to a great crust...something I have learned the hard way.
-I realize that I really should have added some pictures, but in my haste/frustration, I neglected to do so. I hope that my instructions are helpful enough. If not, please let me know and I will be more than happy to clarify!
I hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as my family does!
Sounds yummy!
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