Apple Strudel — A Classic German and Austrian Recipe

(above) The Apple Strudel served in Fussen, Germany at our hotel . . . very, VERY good!

Apple Strudel is a classic dessert in Germany and Austria.  Believe it or not, it is also quite traditional in the furthest northern part of Italy where a strong Austrian influence on food exists.  I lost track of how many versions of apple strudel we tried during our trip to Bavaria.  Each strudel was a little bit different from the other, but all were memorable and delicious.

Some were served in a warm thick custard-like vanilla cream and others were served with a dusting of cinnamon sugar and topped with whipped cream.  From the photos you’ll just have decide which you prefer on their appearance alone.

the Apple Strudel that we tried in Nuremberg during the annual Christmas market.  

The strudel above was from a restaurant at the Nuremberg Christkindl market.  We were in a ‘huge’ crowded  restaurant ‘like-hall’ of enormous amounts of people.  This place was literally, I kid you not, just wall-to-wall tables full of people, with strangers eating with other strangers seated at large tables so that everyone was packed in.  It was certainly an interesting place to people-watch.

the Apple Strudel at the Mad King’s Linderhoff Palace cafe …. very , very delicious and highly recommended!  This was our favorite of all that we tried!

You can see the actual distinct layers of apple slices in the strudel.  There was no need for any sauce to enhance this purely delicious sweet and cinnamon-y apple dessert.  So if you visit the castle of the “Mad King”, do yourself a favor and visit his ‘little’ palace a few miles away.  There you will find the little cafe that serves these delights (either before or after the very brief tour of the mini-palace).  

This is the apple strudel served in the famous Austrian cafe in the village where “Maria von Trappe” of the Sound of Music actually got married (in real life, it wasn’t fiction).   The cast of the movie would eat in this little local landmark cafe on a daily basis.  It is a very quaint eatery with an amazing variety of baked sweets that anyone would enjoy.  The sauce that the strudel ‘swam in’ is AMAZING! 

I found a wonderful recipe from Debby at A Feast for The Eyes and hope you enjoy it!

Apple Strudel (Apfel Strudl)

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• Author: Roz
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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 package frozen puff pastry , thawed overnight in the refrigerated, per package directions
• 3 apples (Jonathans are a good baking apple)
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Clearjel*
• 1/4 cup boiled cider**
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 5 – 6 Tablespoons sour cream
• 1 egg (beaten with a splash of water)
• Coarse sugar

Garnish

• Powdered sugar
• Whipped cream

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Instructions

1. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper.

For the filling

1. Peel and remove the core from apples and then slice thinly.
2. Place the apple slices in a bowl of cold water, with the juice of half a lemon to prevent browning.
3. Add Clearjel thickener to the sugar and mix together.
4. Add the sugar, lemon juice, golden raisins, boiled apple cider and cinnamon to the apples.
5. Mix well and then set aside.
6. Gently roll the sheet of puff pastry out to smooth out the fold marks into a rectangular shape.
7. Brush an even layer of melted butter onto the pastry.
8. Spoon about 3 Tablespoons of sour cream down the center and spread it evenly, leaving at least a 2” border all the way around.
9. The apple mixture may become watery, as the apples release their juices. So, using a slotted spoon, add half of the apple mixture into the center of the pastry sheet, leaving at least a 2” border.
10. Lift up one side of the parchment paper to cover the center filling and then lift up the other side to cover the fruit entirely.
11. Pinch together the long seam and both ends, to seal the pastry. Then fold the ends over the top and press gently to seal.
12. Lift the parchment paper over a parchment lined baking sheet and gently roll the strudel onto the sheet, with the sealed side down.
13. Repeat the process with the second puff pastry sheet.
14. You can refrigerate the strudel at this point until you are ready to bake it.
15. Preheat the oven to 400F.
16. Brush the egg wash over each strudel and sprinkle with coarse sugar .
17. Using a sharp knife, make diagonal slices across the top 2-3” apart.
18. Bake between 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown.
19. Allow to cool on a baking rack for five minutes.
20. Sprinkle powdered sugar all over the top of the strudel.
21. Serve with fresh chilled whipped cream.

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Notes

• Boiled cider is a heavily concentrated cider that has been boiled down and reduced to a very thick syrup. It is used to thicken pies, crisps and strudels.

I hope you enjoy this Apple Strudel — A Classic German and Austrian Recipe