Apple Strudel – May’s Daring Baker’s Challenge May 27, 2009

I’ve made many apple crisps and a few apple pies in my lifetime, but never have I made an Apple Strudel.  My attempt at the Apple Strudel turned out great!  The main challenge for this month was the strudel dough.  The filling was up to us, I used the recipe given which was a delicious apple filling.  The dough ingredients were simple to put together, but rolling and stretching the dough to make it paper-thin I knew would be the challenging part.

After making the dough and letting it sit for a few hours, I went to it, rolling and stretching.  I was pleasently surprised at how my dough stretched considering it was my first strudel dough.  Yes, I got holes, but I didn’t mind them and kept on stretching.  The only problem I ran into was part of my dough overlapped to make a thick edging, I ended up pulling that part off since it wouldn’t ’stretch’ out after it got overlapped and I didn’t want a thick tough crust. 

I served this at room temp on it’s own.  I’m sure warming it up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream would also be great or even serving it at a brunch.

If you love apple pie/cobbler, you’ll love this apple strudel.  In my opinion, it’s not any more difficult or time consuming to make than a pie. 

Preparation time
Total: 2 hours 15 minutes – 3 hours 30 minutes

15-20 min to make dough
30-90 min to let dough rest/to prepare the filling
20-30 min to roll out and stretch dough
10 min to fill and roll dough
30 min to bake
30 min to cool

Apple strudel
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

2 tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum
3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs
strudel dough (recipe below)
1/2 cup (120 ml, about 60 g) coarsely chopped walnuts
2 pounds (900 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking)

1. Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely.

3. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip. Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar. Spread the mixture over the walnuts.

4. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.

5. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.

Strudel dough
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.
Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.

2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).

3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.
Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.

4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it’s about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

German Pancake – A post from the cottage May 24, 2009

This recipe was brought home by my brother who made it in his Home Ec class his freshman year.  He liked it so much he made it for my parents one weekend and they enjoyed it just as much my mom decided to make it for us this Memorial Weekend here at the cottage.

I’ll have to agree that this pancake is delicious.  My mom brought up the memory when my sister and I were young, when on vacation, we would go out for breakfast and order a German Pancake, similar to this, and an omelet and the four of us would share.  This was before the brother came along.

German Pancake

Pancake:

½ cup flour

½ cup milk

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Measure flour, milk, eggs and vanilla in a bowl.

Beat well with electric mixer.

Place 2 Tbsp butter in a 9-inch pie pan.

Place pan in oven uintil butter melts.  (Don’t let it burn)

Take pan out of oven and pour mixture into pan.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve immediately with topping.

Topping:

3 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1/3 cup white sugar

¼ tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp butter

Mix apples, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

Melt 2 Tbsp butter over low heat in a frying pan.

Add apple mixture to frying pan.  Saute until tender, about 10 minutes.

Serve over pancake.

Recipe from :  Tyler

The Blonde Brownie May 17, 2009

If you’re wondering why I haven’t posted in a week, it’s because I’ve been on vaca.  Not just vacation from the blog, but out-of-town vaca, away from everyday life (work, e-mail, blog, housekeeping :)  It was nice spending time on the beach with the husband, watching sunsets & dolphins, golfing, shopping and eating out, but, that’s over now and reality is hitting me again…bummer. 

I actually made these before I left, had some in the freezer I could pull out for when we came home.  This is another favorite recipe that I remember eating and making as a kid.  The good ‘ol Blonde Brownie.  Not quite like a chocolate chip cookie, but the same in some sense. 

I think what makes these so good is the brown sugar, along with the bag of chocolate chips sprinkled over the already spread-in-the-pan batter. 

These things are hard to screw up, unless of course you are doubling or halving the recipe.  I believe I forgot an egg once, so they ended up more dense, not as brownie-like as they should of, but they were still awesome!  Give them a try yourself!

Do you have a favorite recipe you made as a kid and still make now ?  Tell me about it!

Blonde Brownies

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts (opt)

1/3 cup (5 Tbsp) butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

7 oz chocolate chips

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add nuts, mix well and set aside.

Melt butter.  Add brown sugar and beat well.  Let cool.  Add egg and vanilla, blend.  Add flour mixture, small amounts at a time, until just blended. 

Spread in 9×9 or 8×8 inch greased pan.  Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until slightly browned and toothpick comes out clean.

Pretzel Jello May 8, 2009

If you haven’t had the opportunity to make this Jello yet, I suggest you whip it up soon.  It’s a great side dish to any meal!  It does require a bit of time and patience, but it’s worth it.

Pretzel Jello

2 cups finely crushed pretzels (the blender works great)

1/2 cup sugar, divided

2/3 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 pkg (8 oz each) Cream Cheese, softened

2 Tbsp milk

1 cup thawed cool whip

2 cups boiling water

1 pkg (6 oz) strawberry or peach flavored gelatin

1 1/2 cups cold water

1 qt (4 cups) fresh strawberries or peaches, sliced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the pretzel crumbs with 1/4 cup sugar and butter.  Press into the bottom of a 13×9 inch pan.  Bake 10 minutes and cool.

Beat the cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and milk until blended.  Stir in cool whip and spread over cooled crust.  Refrigerate.

Mix the boiling water with the gelatin mix in a large bowl; stir 2 minutes until the gelatin is completely dissolved.  Stir in cold water.  Refrigerate 1 1/2 hours or until thickened (spoon drawn through leaves definite impression).  Stir in strawberries; spoon over cream cheese layer. 

Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.

Recipe from:  Kraft Foods

Sausage and Mushroom Ragu w/ Pasta May 2, 2009

This recipe came from Rachael Ray’s Big Orange Book that I got for Christmas this past year.  I think this is only the 2nd recipe I’ve tried from this recipe book, the first being Steak Pizzaiola, which we love! 

The Sausage and Mushroom Ragu w/ Rigatoni was another meal pleaser.  It took just about an hour from start to finish for me to put together.  It was a nice change from your normal pasta dish usually made with ground beef.  The sausage gave it nice flavor.

Of course, I made a few changes from the original recipe, which included:

1.  Penne Rigate noodles instead of Rigatoni (I’m all about the whole wheat noodles and had the Penne in my cabinet already.) 

2.  Already sliced mushrooms instead of Portobello caps, which I know is probably a pretty big change from the original recipe as far as taste, next time I’ll try the Portobello.

3.  Diced tomatoes instead of crushed.  My book actually doesn’t specify, but I noticed here it does.

4.  And finally, instead of Sage leaves, I used some…I think it was dried Rosemary and Marjoram.  (Check here for some herb swaps)

Want the recipe?  Here you go.  I’m not really likin’ the picture they have there, so I’m posting my own for you.

Bon Appetit!