Friday, June 11, 2010

Apple Strudel



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The ghosts with whom I share my kitchen are restless tonight. I took a short cut and made a strudel that bares no resemblance to the one they taught me to make all those years ago. I could argue that this pastry is difficult to make. That is true. Experts demand that the dough be stretched so thin a newspaper can be read through it. That is also true. My excuse tonight is that I had no one to help me stretch the dough. That led me to take a short cut, and, for my efforts, end up with a pastry that bares little resemblance to the "real" strudel I wanted to make. I could have gone with puff pastry, but I decided instead to use filo to form the skin of my strudel. The crackly crispness of the filo leaves appealed to me. That's where my plan went wrong. The filo sheets are so fine that that they can't handle the juices released by the fruit as it cooks. The pastry becomes water logged and most unappealing. I hasten to add that I love filo, I just don't love it for this application. I used an apple filling that I've made since childhood and I had no problem with that, but I do want to warn you that if you like cooked fruit it would be best to saute the apples before rolling them in pastry. This just doesn't bake long enough to do anything but soften the fruit. I also had difficulty getting the filo to brown. The best I could come up with was pale blond and I was really looking for a deep golden brown roll. My results were middling at best because the component parts did not work well together. If any of you plan to make strudel using anything but classic techniques, I'd advise using puff pastry instead of filo. The recipe, save for the "skin" remains the same. This makes a pleasant dessert served straight from the oven, but it does not keep well. It's best I keep the adjectives to myself. I will not make this again. Here's the recipe I used.

Apple Strudel...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Quezi

Ingredients:
1 sleeve thawed filo dough
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
4 cups apples, cut in 1/2-inch dice
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 cup raisins
1 cup toasted finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions:

1) Melt butter in microwave or stovetop in a small pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) Combine apples, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice and zest in a medium bowl. Toss well to distribute sugar and spices. Let sit for 30 minutes.
3) Unroll defrosted filo dough. Remove one sheet and place it on a pastry board. Cover stacked filo with a damp towel of plastic wrap. Brush sheet of filo with melted butter. Repeat with at least 4 more layers. You may use up to 10 sheets. Do not cover the last sheet with butter. Sprinkle surface of dough with walnuts. Drain apples and squeeze out juices that have accumulated. This is done to prevent filo from getting soggy. Scatter apples and raisins over filo stack, leaving 1-inch uncovered on all sides. Turn in edges of dough. Starting at short end loosely roll filo. Roll so seam is at bottom of roll when end of dough is reached. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Brush top and sides of roll with remaining butter.
4) Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes and check for progress. How long it will take to bake strudel depends on how many sheets of filo and what kind of fruit you used. Strudel should be golden brown. If it’s not done at 15 minutes increase baking time.
5) When done, take strudel out of the oven and immediately cut it into 6 – 8 slices with a serrated knife. Separate slices so that steam from hot fruit can escape. Strudel will become soggy if not sliced immediately. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Apfel Sahne Torte - One Perfect Bite
Cran-Apple Crisp - One Perfect Bite
The Apple Lady Apple Cake - One Perfect Bite

69 comments :

Sushma Mallya said...

Really beautiful & delicious strudel...have a lovely day mary

Pondside said...

It sounds delicious - my favorite way to eat this is with hot vanilla sauce, as we did in Germany - yummy!

PeggyR said...

Oh that sounds wonderful! Another winner Mary!

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

simple, beautiful, and refreshing, this looks really good! Have a nice day and weekend ahead.

Cristie said...

Mary, I've done the switch with those two doughs before as well- I know just where you are sitting. I think your strudel looks lovely and I would love to be with you enjoying a bite right now!

Susi's Kochen und Backen said...

My Oma made the best Apfel Strudel from scratch. We used to enjoy it every year for her birthday along with vanilla sauce. I miss her so much!

Peggy Clyde said...

They sure do look delicious. Thanks.

Monet said...

Mary,
What a stunning photo. This strudel looks delicious, and I can imagine serving it as the conclusion to a lovely dinner party. Thank you for sharing!

Mary | Deep South Dish said...

Oh so sorry it didn't work out!

My mama used to talk with great fondness of her mama's homemade strudel and how it would have to be stretched very, very thin across the dining room table. I could not imagine! My grandma passed when I was a little girl, and mama said she had tried to make it but it wasn't the same. Sadly, I never had the chance to experience an authentic strudel and have never dared to attempt it myself!

The pickles you were asking about today - so far as I am aware they should be refrigerated. We always have!

giorno26 ¸¸.•*¨*•. said...

Oh Mary,
oggi mi hai fatto ritornare indietro nel tempo, quando mia madre lo preparava per la domenica !!!!
Buonissimo !!!!
Buona giornata.

Chele said...

What a shame you are not happy with the end result - it looks fantastic to me! I've always made strudel with filo pastry, strudel pastry is a pretty new concept to my local supermarket ;0)

Ana Powell said...

Once more, I must congratulate you for your outstanding work.
Lovely and delicious apple strudel.
Wishing you a great weekend ♥

Allie and Pattie said...

Mary, I tried the same thing some years back. The time required for strudel dough and having 6 children just didn't equate! All I can say is yours turned out better than mine- filo dough really didn't work for me at all. I will try your filling recipe though as I'm quite sure it's delicious@!
xoxo Pattie

Deb in Hawaii said...

Beautiful strudel--I like the use of the filo too--crispy and good. ;-)

Diane said...

Pity it did not turn out as you expected but I am sure you enjoyed it none the less. I love Apple Strudel. Diane

MaryMoh said...

I love apple strudel but I think I better stick with puff pastry. I know I'll make a big mess with filo pastry. I love it with vanilla ice cream...mmm

T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types said...

I know the chef is always the toughest critic, but I certainly wouldn't turn this down as a midnight snack!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

It seems that we both made strudel. My mom used to make a wonderful strudel dough but I have never attemped it myself.

Joanne said...

Thanks for sharing this even though you didn't feel like it was a success! I definitely would have thought that filo was a perfectly good skin for strudel. Oy.

pam said...

This is why I don't bake. It looks lovely to me, but I hate that you are disappointed. I was about to try some filo cups filled with some peach pie filling that I don't even remember making and freezing, but now I'm not sure. I don't know enough about baking to know what works and what doesn't!

Julie said...

Mary - This is beautiful! I love apple strudel. Have a wonderful weekend!

My Little Space said...

I love every bit of it! I used filo on this before but make sure the apple is cooked before wrapping them along, to reduce water output! I bet yours is as scrumptious. Have a nice weekend!
Blessings, Kristy

From the Kitchen said...

I've done strudel the "right" way with my Hungarian friend. It was a process she was quite adept at and I felt I would never become adept at--ever. I've found that with the filo, in addition to leaking, it doesn't stay crisp so it has to be eaten immediately (not necessarily a bad thing). I've never tried it with the puff pastry. I think I will.

Best,
Bonnie

Priya Suresh said...

Scrumptious apple strudel, looks beautiful..

Martha said...

It looks good and sounds good -- I see why you tried it. I have always heard to make strudel with filo but have never made any kind of strudel (although I've eaten a fair share).

CaSaundraLeigh said...

I can smell this baking all the way from your kitchen :-) Apples are one of my favorite things to bake with because I love the aroma!! I have always wanted to make homemade filo dough, but just the thought makes me cringe!

M @ Betty Crapper said...

I love the honesty. It's nice to see honest reviews of recipes gone wrong every now and then. Keeps cooking "real."

Have a great Friday!

A SPICY PERSPECTIVE said...

Oh, your photo i so appetizing I want to run out to the grocery store to get some apples!

Cathy said...

I would have thought that filo dough would work perfectly, but sometimes recipes just don't go the way we want them to. I've never tried making true strudel dough and will probably stick with puff pastry.

Erica (Irene) said...

This looks so delish......I'm for sure going to make this recipe, it looks so good and I always have filo on hand in my freezer. Strudel was my dad's fav. dessert.
Thanks for sharing another winner. .....have a great weekend!

Baking is my Zen...sweet nibbles for the soul said...

It looks great. Thanks for the heads up on the pastry dough...

Carmen

Tizzy said...

I love strudel. That looks so yummy! I have never made it before but I will have to give it a try!

Unknown said...

Hi Mary. Even though you used the wrong pastry, the strudel still looks wonderful. Have a wonderful weekend. Michael

Federica Simoni said...

Questo strudel è una meraviglia per occhi e una delizia per il palato!!bravissima Mary!!buon week end!!!ciao!!!

Cooking with Kait said...

Hi Mary, Thanks for the advise on not using phyllo dough and cooking the apples before stuffing it. The photo looks great!

Nancy's Notes said...

Oh my, looks divine! I am not sure I can have just one bite!!

Thanks for dropping in to see me!

Nancy

Alessandra said...

One of my favourite cakes!!!

Mary, I put your name on a chain on my blog, it could be fun :-)

Ciao
Alessandra

Gloria Baker said...

I really love Apple strudel, and this Mary look georgeous and delicious! yummy,yummy,, have a nice and lovely day. gloria

Rachana said...

I love Apple Strudel and this one looks perfect to me, Mary :-)

Have a lovely weekend!

hobby baker Kelly said...

Oh but it does look beautiful! I've been dying to make a homemade strudel or filo dough but I think unless I have someone to really show me, I must use a homemade puff pastry instead. I think I can pull that one off. My hubby's Polish grandma used to make apple strudels...

The Red Umbrella said...

Try try again!

Joe Ambrosino said...

It's been a while since I made strudel Mary, and yes, I too used filo dough. I seem to remember sprinkling the individual sheets with fine bread crumbs after I brushed them with butter. Am I confusing recipes or might this be a solution for the juices getting the dough too soggy?

Jennifer said...

Mary I would eat that Strudel up in a minute, it looks delicious to me!

Victor said...

I love strudels, yours look gorgeous. I never play with phyllo papers, I will give it a try!

Lynne (lynnesgiftsfromtheheart) said...

Sounds delicious... hugs ~lynne~

eleni said...

Delicious... I love strudel...

Velva said...

You may not have been completely satisfied with how your strudel turned out but, I think it looks fabulous. Awesome.

Ciao Chow Linda said...

Mary - Your strudel may not have turned out the way you wanted, but the picture sure looks delicious. My favorite strudel dough is more of a cake-y type dough and I've got a couple of recipes for it on my blog - one given to me by a woman working at one of the alpine restaurants at our favorite ski mountain in the Dolomites.

chow and chatter said...

oh wow looks wonderful wheres the custard thanks so much for stopping by my blog Rebecca

Pam said...

I haven't had apple strudel for so long. Thanks for reminding me of this lovely dessert - yours looks great.

Single Guy Ben said...

The photo turned out beautiful though! I do like filo too but it is difficult to work with and can't be used for all applications.

June said...

Mary - I'm so sorry you were disappointed. I'm suffering it too with a samosa pie I made last nigth. GRRR. I've made strudel with phyllo in the past and as Joe also said, I used fine dry breadcrumbs between the layers - and yes, if making it with apples they need to be sauteed (caramelized) first. Don't give up - it's a great idea!

FOODESSA said...

Mary, just this morning when I opened my fridge...I noticed a few apples that needed attention. I was thinking of making my ridiculously easy apple cake. Now...your strudel made me re-evaluate my idea. Or maybe I can make both ;o)
Thanks for inspiring a possible shift in my baking.
Flavourful wishes and have a nice weekend.
Claudia

tasteofbeirut said...

Even though phyllo is not idea for this pastry I would try to make it with it because I dont always want to bother making my own strudel dough; maybe if it was made in individual portions instead the phyllo would have browned more? at any rate, I am sure it tasted delicious.

Megan said...

Bummer because it looks so good. Hope you have a great weekend!

deana@lostpastremembered said...

I agree... looks great but I see what you mean about soggy layers... no fun and not appetizing no matter how flavorful the filling.. makes you wonder who tested that recipe?

Devaki said...

Dear Mary - Thank you for sharing your lovely story and teaching us to stay away from phyllo in a strudel & use puff as a short cut! We benefit from your alas tedious & unexpected experience.

But on the bright side it still looks great!!!

Ciao, Devaki @ weavethousandflavors

À LA GRAHAM said...

Oh my gosh Mary, the photo makes me want to take a bite! I bet it tasted amazing! Thanks for the recipe as always!

tata | bonitafood said...

Whatta "yummy" blog you have here :D. And all your foods are beautifully captured! So love your blog :D

RamblingTart said...

Oh, you make me laugh, Mary! I can just picture you fussing and fuming in the kitchen holding back the words you didn't share with us. :-) Puff pastry sounds like an excellent substitute to make this dessert perfect. :-)

Salsa Verde said...

I love apple strudel and this one seems to be easy and delicious.
Love,
Lia.

Jamie said...

You are too funny, Mary. I love strudel but have never made it because of the difficulty of the dough. Glad you tried the filo before I did! Back to the old drawing board! But I love your filling! Delicious! (having a hard time imagining you using "those" words!)

Cherine said...

Simply mouthwatering!!!

♥ Kathy said...

That sounds really good

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous, nice photo, it drew me right in!

Foley said...

The strudel looks amazing!! I've said this vefore..Wish I lived next door!! LOL

Rettabug said...

Mary, I think I learn more from your *failures* than I do from your successes! Thank you for the description of why this didn't work for you. You mention things I would not have thought about.

It looks delicious in your beautiful photo. I usually don't even take pictures of my goofs. You don't want to see my recent attempt at flamkuken!! LOL

Eliana said...

WOW - so flaky and delicious.

Katrina said...

Bummer that it didn't work out for you. Funny, I just thawed a roll of fillo dough out today. Haven't decided what to do with it. We move in a week and a half and there's still another pack with two more rolls in the freezer. Hmmm? No apple filling it is, thanks. ;)

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