My Aunt’s Authentic Apple Strudel (Old Family Recipe Book with Unleavened Dough)

Yields about 16 medium servings.

Dough:

2 cups of flour

¼  cup of water

¼ teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons sugar

2 eggs

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature (unsalted)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling

10 medium apples, cored and peeled, cut into small cubes

4 tablespoons of sugar

½ lemon squeezed

3 tablespoons butter (unsalted)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 tablespoons of raisins, soaked in rum

2 teaspoons plain dry breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons butter, melted for brushing

1 cup of roasted almonds, ground to small bits

Dough

In a bowl crack 2 eggs, sugar, salt, ¼ cup of water, vanilla extract, and mix well.

In a separate bowl, place 2 cups of flour and create a hole. Add 50 g of soft butter and mix with flour by hand. Add liquid ingredients and knead the dough by hand. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and keep it in fridge for 20 minutes.

Filling

Place apples in a big plastic bowl and squeeze a half lemon. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and raisins soaked in rum, and mix well.

In a skillet, melt butter on low heat and add the apple mixture. Brown for approx 10 minutes. Add sugar just before the end.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Place parchment paper on a large baking sheet and grease with vegetable oil and non-stick baking spray.

Take dough from fridge, divide into 2 equal parts. Dust working surface area with flour and roll out thin, approximately into 15 x 12-inch rectangle. Using a pastry brush, thinly spread butter all over dough, sprinkle with almonds.

Place a half of apple mixture on the dough and roll. Brush a melted butter all over strudel and sprinkle with almonds. Repeat with second piece of dough. Place strudel on a large baking sheet.

Bake strudel for 20 minutes. Raise the temperature to 375 F and bake for more 5-7 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Cut each strudel into 8 medium chunks. Serve fresh at room temperature.

Idea for the recipe comes from