Apple, walnut and pine nut strudel or Apfelstrudel.

Apple strudel is a traditional dessert from Austrian and southern German cuisine, whose origins could be traced back to ancient recipes from Byzantine, Armenian or Turkish cuisines. The word strudel means swirl in German and combines the flavor of nuts with almost any type of filling, in this case with fruit: Apfelstrudel or apple strudel.

This weekend I have encouraged myself preparing two types, one of apple and another to which I have added pear. Today’s filling is similar to that of the previous apple pie , I loved the flavor of the spices that I added and I assure you that it is a filling that does not disappoint, I hope you like it. You can also dare with other fruits: the apple pairs well with pears, peaches and strawberries, even with carrots as in another recipe on this blog: apple and carrot strudel . You just have to add the exact proportions so that the apple flavor is the main one.

Preparation of the Apfelstrudel

1. We peel and core the apples, the ones that are best for this recipe are the golden ones. In my case I have used a lot of small, slightly acidic apples that my father gave me on my previous visit to Galicia. On the bridge of all saints I will bring me another box, so we will have many more apple recipes 🙂
2. We cut them into not very large pieces, discard the heart of the fruit and add the lemon so that they do not rust.
3. We take the butter out of the fridge so that it takes temperature.
4. In a microwave-safe container we incorporate the pieces of fruit, 2 tablespoons of sugar, one of cinnamon and half a tablespoon of cardamom, nutmeg and freshly ground black pepper, these last 3 spices will give an incredible intensity to the fruit. We also add a tablespoon of vanilla essence and a shot of rum, we remove with our hands so that all the flavors mix well. Even without baking it smells like you’re dying.
5. We put the container with its lid ajar in the micro for 10 minutes on high power. We will obtain the poached fruit pieces with all the flavor and aroma of the spices. Let cool and reserve. With this we will already have the filling prepared (it is best to prepare it overnight, we let it cool in the fridge and thus it is easier to work with it).
6. We preheat the oven to 220º so that it takes temperature.
7. We start with the phyllo dough, it is a bit complicated to work but once you get the hang of the first sheet everything improves substantially. Melt a little more butter in the micro at low temperature for 1 minute, if we have time to clarify it much better. When it is liquid we prepare the work area: the bowl with the butter, a silicone brush, a fine cotton cloth, the dough and the filling.
8. On top of the rag we put the first sheet of phyllo dough (care that it is very thin and breaks easily when handling it) and we spread it with butter with the brush, we repeat putting a new sheet on top and smearing again. So on until 3 or 4 sheets are joined.
9. We add the filling on the stretched dough and we begin to roll it up with the help of the rag, first the edges, folding them inwards as if it were a handkerchief and then in the style of sushi, from right to left pressing with the rag. It has to be as if it were a gypsy arm but with a sharp edge. I link a video where you can see how it is done (at 4:50 is where the strudel rolls), it is in German but just see the technique.
10. We beat the egg and mix with the milk. We paint the surface of the strudel before putting it in the oven. As with apple and pear pie ,  the best thing is the trick of the drops of milk to the egg so that it does not burn right away and it lasts better.
11. We place the strudel on a sheet of baking paper and put it on a tray in the bottom of the oven at 190º C for 25 minutes until it turns golden. If we see that it begins to roast too much, we withdraw. We remove from the oven and let it cool. Garnish with icing sugar and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I assure you that it is an incredible dessert, the tender texture of the fruit, the crispness of the phyllo dough and the contrast of the cold of the ice cream.

Be sure to enjoy all the yummy sweets in our dessert recipes , I assure you that you will find a lot of ideas to make yours much happier.

Edged dough, tips for use and baking

• The filo pasta is of oriental origin, it is basic in Greek and Turkish cuisine, being the base of the delicious baklava , one of the desserts that I like the most in Arab cuisine. I love filo pasta for how versatile it is in the kitchen. Its uses are multiple, either to prepare salty or sweet meals. The phyllo dough is a very laborious dough that in the end is worked in very thin sheets of dough and the one that uses several layers for the preparation of the recipe.
• It is one of those doughs that are used in crispy recipes that are prepared in the oven. As with the puff pastry, the oven should never be cold when we put the dough, but when working it should be as cold as possible. We must avoid exposing it to the air while we do not work with it and when we have everything prepared as I mention in the recipe take it out of the fridge, the cold is great.
• It is prepared by painting each leaf with butter in a liquid state, if it is clarified much better.
• The phyllo dough when baked breaks very easily so that we must serve it immediately once baked.
• For its conservation it must be hermetically closed in the fridge, it lasts about 3 months. We could also freeze it although it tends to crack a little when defrosting and then it is more difficult to work.
• The ideal temperature for baking the phyllo dough is between 190 and 200ºC, no more and no less. At lower temperature you will not get a good result and at higher temperature you will burn.