Friday, December 19, 2008

Slovenian Apple Strudel

Apple strudel from Slovenia-štruklji-is not your average store-bought strudel. The dough is pulled and pulled on a floured cloth until it is paper thin; it is then coated with apples, cracker crumbs, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. It is then rolled up and baked. It takes time and patience, but when it comes out of the oven....magic! The following is my grandmother's recipe, with a few minor tweaks. She inspected the process, and then proceeded to take 1/2 of it home with her, so I assume the strudel was a success.

Ingredients:
2 eggs (room temperature)
8 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
5 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cup warm water


Apple Filling:
2 quarts of thinly sliced apples
(sorry I had written 1 quart before-wrongly!)
2 sticks of melted butter
1 cup brown sugar

3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 graham crackers, crushed into crumbs


Preheat oven to 350 F

Mix together egg, oil and salt until well combined. Alternate adding flour and water until combined. Mix until smooth then kneed for 15 min. Place finished dough in slightly warmed oven for 1/2 hour, covered with floured cloth. Clear off large table surface and place clean floured cotton cloth over top of table. Start stretching dough slowly in circular motion. Check to see that dough is not sticking to cloth-if it it, add more flour. Place your hand palm-side up underneath dough and slowly, patiently pull towards you (it is almost like the dough is sliding off of your hand). Continue pulling from all directions until stretched large
without holes. It should be about newspaper thin and translucent if you are somehow amazingly gifted at this. Mine had spots like this, a few holes and some thicker ones. C'est la vie. The warmth from your hand makes the dough more pliable, so if it is hard to pull the dough, try to soften it a bit with your hands.

Drizzle butter over stretched dough until covered. Place filling evenly over dough, leaving one end with about 3 inches bare. Drizzle more butter over ingredients. Hold cloth at filling end and slowly help dough roll over itself evenly. Pinch ends shut to prevent filling leakage. Place in buttered 9x13 inch buttered pan in three strips to fit pan lengthwise or in S shape without cutting. Bak
e for 1 hour, basting with remaining butter often. Serve warm or at room temperature.

5 comments:

  1. This sounds good. Have you made it yet?

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  2. I am making it tomorrow morning, which for me, lately, means around 11:30-12pm. I'll update then, with photos!

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  3. Excellent! My daughter would love the snake shape! Thanks so much for sharing.

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  4. I never saw this in person?!?!

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  5. Anonymous...do you mean you have never seen it step by step, or do I know you???

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Tried my recipe? Please let me know how it turned out for you! Be honest (and kind!)