One easy variation of the apple strudel with raisins. Easy because it uses only 1 layer of dough. The idea of the traditional Apfelstrudel is about a dough rolled around a filling to form many layers. It must be really thin to obtain a flacky texture. And here comes the complexity – stretching the dough without breaking it isn’t very easy, and it takes time and patience to perfect this skill. I tried making a strudel this way only once: it took much time and my strudel was far from perfect. Then I just figured out that a quick “1-layer method” works great too, and takes less time. (Getting a store-bought filo dough instead of homemade simplifies everything even more). With a fruit-bountiful filling it all will taste amazing anyway! Happy baking!:)
* The vegan strudel recipe is here.
Makes 2 strudels
Takes 1 hour (prep – 40 mins, baking – 20 min) + cooling
Ingredients
Pastry
1/3 cup neutral vegetable oil (sunflower, corn or light tasting olive oil)
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp sugar (optionally)
pinch of salt
1 heaped cup plain flour
Filling
1 kg apples (or 6-7 medium apples)
1 cup raisins (1/2 cup black, 1/2 cup golden)
1 cup strong black tea (or orange juice)
zest of 1 large lemon
juice of 1/2 large lemon
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Extra
3 tbsp bread crumbs
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp light tasting oil
1 egg yolk
Directions
To make the pastry: in a large bowl, combine the oil and water. Sift in flour, add sugar and salt. Mix well. Add the egg and knead the pastry. It should be elastic and soft, not stiff. Wrap the pastry into a plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place for 15-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line the baking sheet with parchment.
Meanwhile, to make the filling, soak the raisins in strong black tea or orange juice for 20 minutes. Core, deseed and chop finely the apples. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Add lemon zest, sugar, raisins and cinnamon and toss to combine.
Dust a work surface with flour. Divide the pastry in half and roll out each piece into a rectangle, about 5mm thick. Keep enough flour on a work surface to prevent sticking. Brush the rolled pastry with oil. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and sugar. Spread the apple filling in the middle of each rectangle and crimp the edges. Carefully use the parchment to maneuver strudel to a baking sheet. Brush with the egg yolk. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10-15 mins. Dust with cinnamon, or confectioner’s sugar, if desirable. Slice, serve and enjoy!:)
* Strudel tastes best warm from the oven with vanilla sauce or ice-cream.
Bon Appétit!
MAYA'S BEE HIVE 