Easy Strudel Vintage Recipe From The 50s

EASY APPLE STRUDEL (APFELSTRUDEL)

Steps:

• Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Melt ¼ cup of the butter, and then add breadcrumbs.
• Saute breadcrumbs in melted butter until toasty. Set aside.
• Mix together sliced apples, raisins, lemon zest, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and ground almonds.
• It is very important that you do this immediately before you assemble the strudels. Do not allow the mixture to set after mixing, or it will become too juicy for the delicate phyllo leaves before the strudel bakes.
• Preheat oven to 400°F | 205°C.
• Place one phyllo leaf on a kitchen towel and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with about a tablespoon of breadcrumbs.
• Place a second leaf on top and brush with butter again. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of breadcrumbs.Repeat until 6 leaves have been used.
• Spread filling in a 3-inch strip along the narrow end of the phyllo, leaving a 2-inch border on the sides.
• Lift towel and use it to help you roll up the strudel. Press the ends down to seal. (I don't worry too much about this - some filling may come out, but it always turns out fine.)
• Brush top of the strudel with butter and sprinkle with toasted breadcrumbs.Repeat to make the second strudel. Bake the strudels at 400°F | 205°C for 20 to 25 minutes, until browned.

OLD VIENNA APPLE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Combine apples, sugar, cinnamon, and raisins in a medium saucepan. Add 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cover and let cook for about 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high, and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour filling into a baking dish and stir in the walnuts; let cool to room temperature.
• In a small saute pan, melt 5 tablespoons butter and add breadcrumbs. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until toasted and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Wipe pan clean and melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter; set aside to cool.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack positioned in the middle of the oven. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with a double thickness of parchment paper.
• Lay a large, clean cloth or sheet (at least 3 feet long and wide) on a work surface, and sprinkle well with flour. Remove strudel dough from bowl without folding it over on itself and set it in the center of your work surface. Use the palms of your hands to flatten the dough. Dust dough lightly with flour and roll it in all directions, as well as rolling over the edges, making it as thin as possible. Lightly brush entire surface with oil.
• Slide both hands, with slightly curved palms facing down, under dough toward the center. Holding this position, lift the dough off the cloth with your knuckles, and begin stretching from the center out to the edges until it is too large to stretch easily with your hands. Carefully set dough back on cloth, spreading it to smooth out any wrinkles or folds. Starting in the center again, continue to stretch out the dough in all directions, maintaining a rectangular shape, until the dough is almost translucent everywhere except the edges, which should be thicker. If the dough tears while stretching; you will be able to patch any holes with some of the excess stretched dough.
• Once dough is stretched, let dry for 10 minutes.
• Using a pizza wheel or kitchen scissors, trim all the thick edges until the dough is approximately 24-by-30-inches. With the 24-inch edge facing you, scatter the breadcrumbs on a 12-by-4-inch rectangle of dough centered about 3 inches in from the 24 inch side so the 16 inch side of filling is parallel to the 24 inch side of dough. Scatter the cooled filling on the same space.
• Use a brush to drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of cooled butter all over the unfilled portions of the dough, reserving a little to brush the strudel with once it has been rolled.
• Roll strudel by folding 3 inches of dough from the 24-inch side of dough over the filling, then fold the unfilled dough in from each side. Lift the cloth and roll the strudel, stopping to fold the edges inward as you roll. Transfer to prepared pan, seam side down, positioning diagonally if necessary.
• Brush the top of the strudel with remaining butter, and snip vent holes in with sharp scissors.
• Place strudel in oven. Bake, rotating pan halfway though, until deep golden brown and crisp, about 30 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut on the diagonal into slices. Dust lightly with confectioners' sugar and serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

EASY STRUDEL, VINTAGE RECIPE FROM THE 50'S

Steps:

• Cut margarine into flour as for pie crust. Add egg yolks, vinegar and water and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 3 hours)
• Divide dough into 3 parts and work with one at a time. Roll out very thin on floured cloth to fit 10 x 15 cookie sheet. (All three will fit on one sheet.).
• Sprinkle each with 1 Tblsp flour, 3 tblsp sugar and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon.
• For each strudel, arrange 3 peeled and diced apples along edge of long side and roll up, guiding with the cloth grasped in each hand.
• Place all three on ungreased sheet and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.
• Optional: sprinkle with confectioner's sugar when cool. Or drizzle with a simple confectioner's sugar glaze.