With the arrival of autumn and its crisp air, there is nothing better than a sweet shortcrust pastry apple strudel, which envelops the senses with its inviting aroma and delightful taste.
With its golden crust and succulent filling, this dessert is the perfect answer to gloomy and cool days. This exquisite recipe combines the sweetness of apples with their slightly tangy note, with the fragrance of shortcrust pastry (without yeast), enhanced by the addition of cinnamon, pine nuts, raisins, and honey.
What can I say, the right harmony of flavors and aromas! Its goodness conquers everyone and makes it hard to resist a second helping.
In this recipe, I will guide you step by step in preparing this classic dessert, to be enjoyed both with family and on special occasions, either alone or accompanied by a generous scoop of ice cream or vanilla cream.
If you like apple desserts, also try these delicious recipes:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn
- Energy 613.03 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 95.18 (g) of which sugars 53.95 (g)
- Proteins 9.05 (g)
- Fat 22.41 (g) of which saturated 11.90 (g)of which unsaturated 9.59 (g)
- Fibers 4.93 (g)
- Sodium 168.42 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 225 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Shortcrust Pastry Apple Strudel
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 apples
- 3/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons rum
- 1 glass water
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Preparation of Shortcrust Pastry Apple Strudel
First, rehydrate the raisins by placing them in a bowl with lukewarm water and rum.
Spread the flour in a mound on a work surface and place the salt, sugar, butter cut into small pieces, 1 whole egg, and 1 egg yolk in the center.
Quickly mix the ingredients, working first with your fingertips until you get a crumbly mixture.
Then work the mixture with your hands and at speed. If necessary, add very little flour to prevent the shortcrust pastry from sticking to your hands or the work surface.
Form a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Then, place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up.
Peel the apples, cut them into cubes, and place them in a bowl.
Add the juice of a lemon, brown sugar, cinnamon, honey, pine nuts, and drained raisins.
Gently mix the ingredients so they are well combined.
Sprinkle a little flour on the work surface and roll out the shortcrust pastry into a rectangle. With a fine-tipped knife, trim the edges to make them precise.
Place the pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover the center with breadcrumbs, and add the apple filling. Spread it evenly, always in the center of the pastry.
Now cut strips along the long sides of the pastry. Then, fold the two edges on the short sides and then the strips alternately to form a braid.
Brush the surface of the strudel with the slightly beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with a teaspoon of brown sugar.
Bake in a preheated oven at 355°F (180°C) for 25-30 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the oven and let it cool slightly.
When serving, you can decorate the strudel with powdered sugar.
Tips
You can replace the butter in the shortcrust pastry with vegetable oil.
You can omit the rum to soften the raisins, especially if you want to serve the strudel to children.
Storage
The shortcrust pastry apple strudel can be stored for 3 days, wrapped in foil or kept in an airtight container. You can also place it in the refrigerator and, when ready to enjoy, heat it at 320°F (160°C) for about ten minutes.
