Recipe adapted from Beyond Kimchee
A few years ago we were lucky enough to take a trip to visit some friends from Germany. We met them when we lived in Nashville for a few years (they were working there through an exchange program) and became great friends. When they all moved back to Germany they moved to different parts of the country, so we had built in tour guides and places to stay!
We traveled to Frankfurt, Gottingen, Berlin, Hannover, and the Heidelberg area. This was only my second time leaving the US, but the first time I was really introduced to foreign cuisine. I used to be (ok so still am to some extent) a picky eater, so I was very nervous that I would be starving for ten days. This was hardly the case! Our first night there I sampled the fabulous gluhwein, which is a traditional warm spiced wine. We also ate at a fabulous little Italian restaurant. I sampled my first taste of gelato, which we treated ourselves to on numerous occasions. I had my first schnitzel at a restaurant called Uncle Tom’s Cabin (good, but unbelievably salty)! The entire time we spent there, I knew that there was one food I couldn’t leave without trying: apple strudel (or as they would say in Germany, apfel shtrudel). We went in search for delicious, authentic strudel and found it on our second day in Berlin.
Making my own strudel never even occurred to me until I saw this recipe. It was one of those recipes that I knew I needed to make as soon as possible. Since two puff pastries come in one package, I initially intended to just make one and save the other for another time. Once I started making it my gut instinct just kept telling me to make two, and thank goodness I did! We ate an entire one ourselves that night it was that delicious! The apple filling was incredible and the puff pastry just seemed to melt in your mouth. I think the only addition that would make this even better would be sprinkling cinnamon sugar on top prior to baking. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of chopped nuts which I decided to omit. This is best served warm with a nice big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
Apple Strudel
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1 package puff pastry (2 sheets)
2 cups apple pieces (about 2 medium apples)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided
2 Tbsp flour
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp unseasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tsp water
Thaw puff pastry on counter for approximately 40-45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel, core, and slice apples. Place in bowl and combine with 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 2 Tbsp of granulated sugar and flour. Set aside for 15-20 minutes. In a separate bowl combine brown sugar, remaining 2 Tbsp of granulated sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and bread crumbs. Set aside.
Thin out the puff pastry slightly using a rolling pin. The edges should measure 10 in x 12 in. Sprinkle half of the bread crumb mixture over each sheet of pastry, leaving a border on three sides. Top with half of apple mixture. Begin rolling puff pastry. Pinch together the ends and tuck under. Transfer, seam side down, to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Mix together egg and water, and brush over the top of each pastry. Use a knife to cut several slits into each one to allow steam to escape. You may sprinkle the top with a cinnamon sugar mixture if desired. Bake 40-45 minutes or until they turn a nice golden brown.
