Strudel

"My grandparents all emigrated from Czechoslovakia and I learned the original of this recipe from my mother." George Dvorak.

• 4-5 apples, sliced
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• flour
• 3/4 cup walnuts (optional)
• 1/3 cup coconut (optional)
• 3/4 cup raisins or currants (optional)

Filling Variations

• 1 pound cranberries, fresh or 8 ounces cranberries and 2-3 apples, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup chopped
  walnuts (optional)

• 6-8 peaches, sliced
• butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

For all fillings

• 2 tablespoons butter, sliced thinly
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar ( white or brown - brown is best with peaches)
• 2 tablespoons flour

METHOD

Dough

Place milk and butter in sauce pan, heat just to boiling. Remove from heat.

Beat eggs with a whisk or electric beater in a separate pan. Continue beating eggs as you pour in the milk butter mixture. Add 2-1/2 cups of the flour and work with back of a wooden spoon. It will be sticky. Spread remaining 1/2 cup of flour on a clean surface to kneading.

Scrape dough onto kneading surface. Knead lightly incorporating the flour until dough is smooth and uniform. Divide into two pieces. Place in buttered bowls and cover with plastic film. Let rest in a warm place for 20 minutes.

While dough rests, mix together the ingredients of your choice of fillings.

Construction

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Spread a piece of cloth (3-4 feet square) on a table or other work area. Sprinkle generously with flour. Place first piece of dough on floured cloth Turn over to flour other side. Roll with a lightly floured rolling pin in every direction. Put hands under dough and stretch gently in all directions (traditionally the intent is a large round). Strive for a width equal to or greater than the length of the baking pan . Make length as long as possible (a rectangular shape makes a more uniform roll). Trim away any heavy edges. A scissors works well for this.

Spread filling over dough. Dot with thin slices of butter. Sprinkle with sugar. click for tip Sprinkle with flour or cornstarch-almond extract mixture. click for tip Using cloth under dough, roll up (if width of dough is much wider than length of pan, lift cloth to fold the long edges in to about the length of pan).

Using cloth, lift the roll and place to one side of pan. Repeat with second piece of dough. The two rolls fit in one pan.

Bake at 450°F for 15 minutes, then 400° F for an additional 45 minutes.

Cut in 2 inch slices.

Yield: 2 - 3 dozen slices

Tip: To determine the amount of sugar for the fillings, George tells us: "The amount depends on whether the apples are tart or sweet, I use Gravenstein, Pippin, Macintosh, or Fuji. Cranberries need more sugar, peaches need less."

Tip: "This flour is to thicken the juice from the fruit. Apples need a little, cranberries more, peaches release a great deal so I use cornstarch." George Dvorak

This recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com

Contributor: George Dvorak

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