Gramma Koch’s Apple Strudel
by Caren McSherry
My grandmother was a wonderful cook. she used to make an incredible strudel drought that would stretch the entire length of the farmhouse table she cooked on. I was mesmerized as a small girl watching her coax and roll this small ball of dough that had been resting and hidden for hours under a bowl. She rolled this into a paper thin blanket that could almost envelop a human, to say nothing of the apples it was meant for. If you can talk yourself into tackling the dough, then the rest is easy. Settle for a small, coffee table size sheet and leave the farmhouse table size to the German Grammas that created it. Get your muscle on and roll, you will be so proud of self!
Ingredients:
- 1 large free range egg
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed or avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 cup unbleached flour
- 4 large apples (Granny Smith or golden delicious) peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cups slivered almonds
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 amaretti biscuits or soda crackers, crumbled
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
Method:
1. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg, add the oil and water, pour in the flour and mix until blended. Turn the dough out onto your work surface and knead until smooth. About 5 minutes.
2. Place the dough onto a large plate and cover with a bowl. Let the dough rest for at least 5-6 hours. (This is the secret to rolling the dough, the gluten relaxes and enables the dough to stretch.)
3. When the dough has rested, pre heat the over to 350F. Take a large cotton tea towel or flour sack towel that is about 36 inches square. Place the ball of dough in the centre and begin to roll. It will take time and patience to stretch this out, get it to ragged 18 x18 inches, not quite the farmhouse table, but then again we are not big German grammas!
4. Brush the rolled dough with melted butter, spread the sliced apples over, then sprinkle the sugar, almonds, currants, cinnamon and crackers.
5. Take the end of the tea towel and begin to roll it out, jelly roll fashion. Roll directly onto a cookie sheet and brush the entire strudel with the remaining melted butter.
6. Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
Serves 8-10
Copyright© Gramma Koch / 1952
2. Place the dough onto a large plate and cover with a bowl. Let the dough rest for at least 5-6 hours. (This is the secret to rolling the dough, the gluten relaxes and enables the dough to stretch.)
3. When the dough has rested, pre heat the over to 350F. Take a large cotton tea towel or flour sack towel that is about 36 inches square. Place the ball of dough in the centre and begin to roll. It will take time and patience to stretch this out, get it to ragged 18 x18 inches, not quite the farmhouse table, but then again we are not big German grammas!
4. Brush the rolled dough with melted butter, spread the sliced apples over, then sprinkle the sugar, almonds, currants, cinnamon and crackers.
5. Take the end of the tea towel and begin to roll it out, jelly roll fashion. Roll directly onto a cookie sheet and brush the entire strudel with the remaining melted butter.
6. Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
Serves 8-10
Copyright© Gramma Koch / 1952
