Posted by: Misty

Apple Strudel

Oregon apples at their finest! Serve the strudel hot with good vanilla bean ice cream, and you are in for a special old-world treat.

Marie’s Czech Strudel (see below)

6 medium Braeburn apples or other good cooking apples

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons cream, divided

1½ cups fresh bread crumbs

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Lightly sweetened whipped cream or ice cream

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and oil with baking spray. Set aside.

Peel, core, and slice the apples into ¼-inch wedges. Measure the butter, cream, bread crumbs, 1 cup of the sugar, and cinnamon and have them ready to use.

Roll out the dough. Dust off any extra flour from the dough. Drizzle the butter over the pastry. With a pastry bush gently coat the pastry, reserving a 1-inch border. Baste the border with the cream and set aside the remaining cream for basting the top.

On the buttered area, evenly cover the pastry with the bread crumbs, apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Fold the left and right edges of the dough over the apples about 1½ inches. This will keep the juices from running out after it’s rolled and while baking. Starting at the bottom gently roll the pastry toward the top. As you roll, gently brush off any excess flour from the pastry. Stop rolling when the seam is on the bottom.

Place the baking sheet next to the strudel and gently lift the strudel onto the sheet. Baste with the remaining cream and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for 45 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature, alone or with the whipped cream or ice cream.

Makes about 10 servings.

Marie's Czech Strudel

It seems every culture in Europe has a claim on strudel. This one comes straight from the Czech Republic, where Carol’s grandparents were born and raised. Having had the Strudel House for 20 years, Carol made a lot of strudel, so much so that she ended up with carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists. The key to really good strudel is getting the pastry as thin as possible. This entails rolling, gently pulling, and stretching the dough.

Begin making the dough at least several hours before serving.

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup unsalted butter

1 egg yolk

¼ cup warm water

Mix the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the butter until a crumble forms. Set aside.

Beat the egg yolk, add the water, and add to the flour mixture. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low until the dough is smooth, shiny, and pulls away from the bowl. Form the dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, several hours or overnight.

Prepare the filling before rolling out the dough and set aside. (After you roll out the dough, it must be filled immediately so the dough doesn’t dry out and become brittle.)

On an even, lightly floured surface or pastry cloth, start rolling the dough straight up and down until it is 10 inches long. Pick up the dough and gently pull until it is about 14 inches long. Place the dough on the work surface again, this time with the long part horizontal. Roll again, pushing out and down to create a rectangle that will eventually measure about 18 by 15 inches. Add a little flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface. When the dough measures about 15 by 12 inches, it will become too difficult to roll. Gently pull the dough with your palm to get it as thin as possible.

Makes about 10 servings.