Hi Drea
Since we're on the topic of apples, I thought I'd add this recipe. Actually, its my sister's recipe - Hilde's Apple Strudel. If you can enlist the aid of hubby or friend, so much the better.
4 full cups flour: (3 cups on counter, 1 cup in liquid mixture)
Liquid Mixture:
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 egg
Mix with egg beater, then add the 1 cup of flour
and mix well with a fork.
Make a well in the 3 cups of flour - add liquid mixture slowly. Add more flour as needed, but slowly and not too much. (Too much flour and the dough will be too hard and you won't be able to pull it.)
Flour your hands and mix to a soft dough. Dough should not be sticky, it should just leave your hands.
Turn out on to a lightly floured surface. Knead into a ball. Now pick up the dough and throw down on a lightly floured surface - do this about 100 times. (Great way to relieve tension LOL). Knead again for 5 minutes. The more the dough is banged down and kneaded, the lighter it will be. Form dough into a ball and place into lightly oiled bowl, cover and stand in warm place for one hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling.
Filling:
8 large apples (peel, core & slice)
1/2 cup sweet butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs separated
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind - optional
raisins - optional
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks and vanilla. Beat well with hand mixer. Add cinnamon then fold in stiff egg whites. Add mixture to apples. Blend well.
Cover large table with clean cloth, rub flour over surface. Roll out dough as far as it will go.
Flour hands, slip them under the dough, then start pulling dough from centre with backs of hands, rather than fingers. Do this gently and carefully until the dough is paper thin.
Spread mixture over dough. If adding raisins, sprinkle some over the apple mixture. Gather cloth in hands and carefully roll up apple strudel pulling cloth to you as you roll. Place in a large baking pan curving it carefully into an 'S' shape (sides touching each other - know what I mean?)
Bake 50 to 60 minutes in 350 deg oven.
After it has cooled down you can dust with sifted icing sugar if you like.
As in most things, practice makes perfect,and as far as this recipe is concerned, I'm still practicing. It's well worth the effort.
Rose |
