Apple Strudel
(Apfelstrudel)

Many people associate strudel with Austria, but it is one of the most popular desserts in Germany, particularly Bavaria in the south. One of our Bavarian co-workers assures us that paired with a vegetable soup, a healthy serving of apple strudel also makes a perfect main dish. As a child, this was understandably one of her favorite meals (I wish her mother had spoken to mine!). This recipe is a little unusual in that it complements the apples with a light taste of raspberry.

Preparation time: 1 hour
Baking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
Serves 6

2 pounds tart apples, peeled, cored and slicedJuice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup of sugar
1 cup raisins
Rind of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Dough # 1:

2 packages dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup presifted flour
2 egg yolks
Dough # 2:

1/4 pound unsalted butter, chilled
1 cup presifted flour
1/4 cup rasperry jam, melted
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
Method
Preheat oven to 400°. Toss the first six ingredients and cover. Prepare Dough # 1: Combine the yeast, sugar and warm water. Add 1/4 cup of the flour, stirring well. Let rest for 5 minutes. Add the remaining flour, kneading well. Add the egg yolks, then shape dough into a ball, cover and reserve.
Prepare Dough # 2: With a pastry blender, quickly cut the butter into the flour until mixture is the consistency of corn-meal. Roll into a ball, cover and refrigerate.
Roll out each of the doughs separpately between pieces of floured wax paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Place Dough #1 on top of Dough #2. Fold in half, roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Repeat the process of folding and rolling the dough 2 more times. Transfer the dough to a floured cloth and roll the dough as thinly as possible into a long rectangle.
Trim the edges, then brush with the raspberry jam. Spread the apple mixture on a long edge of the dough. Carefully roll the dough, jelly-roll fashion, into a compact cylinder. Tuck in the edges and seal. Transfer the strudel to a buttered baking sheet. Brush lightly with the egg yolk and bake until golden, about 45 minutes.
Though strudel is delicious served still warm from the oven, let it cool slightly. Use this time to make the vanilla custard sauce that is invariably served along with fresh strudel in Germany.
Guten Appetit!

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