Strudel is a fine pastry speciality from Central Europe, mainly from Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Germany, Hungary and Switzerland.
It is a cinnamon-flavoured pastry made up of several layers of phyllo pastry, buttered with a brush, which wrap a filling to form a sort of cylinder which is then baked golden in the oven. The filling usually consists of a mixture of chopped apples accompanied by dried fruit (sultanas, almonds, etc.). This recipe adds a touch of the exotic with lime zest and juice.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 35 minutes at 400°F (200°C)
Difficulty: medium
Yield: 4-6 persons
Ingredients
For the strudel
- 1/2 lb of phyllo dough (240 g)
- 4 tablespoons of melted butter (50 g)
- 2 apples, peeled, hollowed out, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar (90 g)
- 1 lime, zest and juice
- 1/2 cup of slivered almonds (60 g)
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons of rum (facultatif)
- 4-5 tablespoons of sultanines (facultatif)
For the vanilla cream
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of milk (2 dl)
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons of heavy cream (1 dl)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Roll out the phyllo pastry on the worktop. Butter each sheet with the liquid butter, using a brush and lay the sheets one on top of the other.
- Combine stuffing ingredients in a bowl.
- Spread the filling in the centre of the dough, leaving a border about 1.5 cm wide all around.
- Fold the narrow sides of the width inwards, roll up and place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, with the closure on the underside.
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes.
- While cooking, prepare the vanilla cream. Dissolve the cornstarch well in the milk. Mix with the other ingredients. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Immediately strain through a sieve over a salad bowl. Allow to cool slightly, stirring frequently. Keep the strudel in a cool place while serving.