South Tyrolean apple strudel

Strudel with apples is a very popular dessert in South Tyrol.

**Apple pie**
Schwemmalm
© TV Ultental-Deutschnonsberg

**Strudel - Apple cake**
Strudel is particularly good when served hot and with a little 'of whipped cream!
© koi88 - Fotolia.com

**South Tyrolean apple strudel**
A slice of apple strudel made of South Tyroelan apples is the ideal food after a hike.
© Günther Pichler - Tourismusverein Marling

The origins of this sweet delicacy lie far enough in the past. In fact, apple strudel comes from Turkey and had come to South Tyrol as well over the centuries. The ingredients are simple and genuine: apples, raisins, cinnamon, sugar, puff pastry or short pastry – depending on the recipe.

A good apple strudel is characterised by the quality of its products too. The apples from South Tyrol are just perfect for it!

An apple strudel can best be enjoyed with a cup of tea or with a glass of milk. As well, there are many different types of a strudel, with thicker or thinner dough or depending on the filling.

Strudel is mainly made with apple filling. Sometimes, pears, nuts, almonds and pine nuts are added too. Cinnamon is very important ingredient giving the strudel its typical flavour and scent.

**Strudel - Dough**
For the dough, knead the flour, eggs, sugar and the other ingredients.
© IDM Alto Adige/Jessica Preuhs

**Strudel - Roll out the dough**
As soon as the dough is ready, roll it out to approx. 0.5 cm. The cut apples are put in the middle of the dough afterwards.
© IDM Alto Adige/Jessica Preuhs

**Strudel from South Tyrol**
Finally, you will get a delicious strudel, which is best served warm and accompanied by a vanilla sauce.
© IDM Alto Adige/Jessica Preuhs

Ingredients:

Dough:

300 g flour
200 g butter
100 g icing sugar
1 egg (or 2 egg yolks)
1 tablespoon of vanilla sugar
1 pinch of grated lemon zest
1 pinch of salt

Apple filling:

600 g apples
50 g sugar
50 g breadcrumbs, a bit roasted in butter
40 g raisins
20 g pine nuts
2 tablespoons Rum
1 tablespoon of vanilla sugar, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, grated lemon zest
Egg for brushing, icing sugar for sprinkling

Preparation:

For the dough, sift the flour onto a baking board and press a small hole into the centre. Cut the butter into cubes and add them to the centre of flour together with the icing sugar, the egg, the vanilla sugar, the lemon zest and the salt, until no more pieces of butter are seen. Then knead all the ingredients to forma a smooth dough. Wrap the dough into transparent foil and let the dough rest for about 1 hour in the fridge.

For the filling, peel the apples and remove the cores, cut into thin slices and mix with sugar, breadcrumbs, raisins, pine nuts, Rum, vanilla sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest.

Preheat the oven. Roll out the dough on a floured baking bread to a size of 40 x 26 cm and put it on a buttered baking tray (or lined with paper). Put the apple filling on the dough and fold the side of the dough over the filling. Brush the strudel with the whisked eggs, decorate with the remaining dough strips and bake in the oven. Sprinkle with icing sugar.

Baking temperature: 180 °C - Baking time: 35 minutes