I didn’t pick my moment well when I asked Hotel Falkenstein for their Apple Strudel recipe. It was a warm sunny lunchtime, and the restaurant was packed with guests on their last open day of the year. As they were rushed off their feet, I didn’t want to ask a second time. Maybe it’s a secret anyway, it probably should be…
We have a particularly generous apple tree in the corner of our garden. If the blossom is anything to go by, we can always tell that we are in for a bumper crop, and this year was no exception.
I do feel bad that we don’t make the best of them, and had ambitious plans for taking our crop to the local farm to be pressed for juice as is quite typical in these parts. But of course, time waits for no-one, and apart from the odd crumble the birds and wasps have probably had the best of them this year. Up until now…
We don’t have much time when I get back from work, but as the weather’s most definitely on the change (winter tyres are on already!) we like to spend as much time as we can out in the sunshine whilst it’s still here.
I had thought Small Boy was busy being Thomas Müller (much to his father’s disappointment – he doesn’t have another family member to support his beloved Southampton FC – his offspring are very much FC Bayern fans!) but he suddenly appeared from the garden shed with something I didn’t even know we had – an apple picker – suggesting that if we got the last of the apples from the top of the tree, we (or rather I!) could make that strudel that we had recently enjoyed.
And although completely different to the amazing strudel we enjoyed in Wolfgangsee, I like to think this one was definitely worth a very heavy apple in the face.
Apple & Ginger Strudel
Preheat the oven to 200DegC.
6-8 medium to large apples – cooking or eating, it doesn’t matter which;
Good shop bought filo pastry (you could try making your own, but I won’t be doing an Expat Essential on that any time soon – they are the masters of it here after all!);
25g melted butter;
100g fine caster sugar;
70 chopped crystallised ginger (available in good oriental super markets if you can’t find it, for those of you resident here!);
Icing sugar to dust.
Slice the apples with a mandolin if you have one (watch your fingers, I have been banned from using ours many many times!), if not slice as thinly as possible (don’t worry about peeling them!) Rinse and place to once side in a bowl. You will need to work quickly to stop the apples from going brown by the way – or, if you live in a country where the supermarkets are open on a Sunday, you could go and buy a lemon and add a few drops to the bowl to stop this altogether!
On a clean tea-towel, lay the first sheet of filo pastry (there were four in our box!). Brush generously with melted butter, and lay another sheet on top. Continue until you are down to your last sheet.
Add the caster sugar and crystallised ginger to the sliced apples and give it a good mix. Lay the apples in a thick line down the middle of the pastry, then fold the pastry around the filling to give you that typical strudel shape, and brush the entire thing with the remaining butter. Lift the apple strudel with the help of the tea-towel and roll it gently on to a lined baking tray.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the strudel is golden brown in colour. Leave to cool, dust with icing sugar and enjoy with cream, vanilla ice cream, or custard, or indeed all three…
It looks like a beautiful slice of strudel…love the ginger in it.
Thank you Karen! :)
I haven’t been here for ages (sad face) due to moving and boring stuff like that. I love all the travel stuff – beautiful but this is the post that has stolen my heart. Oh I love an apple based dessert. this is looks blissful!
If we were neighbours I would make it especially for you for your housewarming! Better than the bread and salt I got when we moved here! :D xx
Oh yum, this sounds amazing! I love strudel and I love ginger!
Thanks so much Bevchen! :)
I absolutely love strudel and this looks so tasty. I would love an apple tree
Thanks Alison! :)
I don’t tend to be much of a dessert-eater, however one of the exceptions I make is for apple strudel! I’ve never tried to make it though, so maybe I should pass this recipe on to Ben and see if he can recreate it for me….
#Recipeoftheweek
You must, if I can make it, so can you! Thank you! :)
I had no idea that you didn’t have Sunday trading where you were.Is that the same all over Europe? I haven’t made strudel in years, I used to made huge ones for the restaurant I worked at.We had a tendency to bulk them out with breadcrumbs though to cut down costs.Yours sounds delicious, especially as it has ginger in it which is my absolute favourite.
I think in most of Europe yes. Definitely no late night shopping like we are used to either! :D Breadcrumbs is very traditional in strudel here, but I had no idea what for, now I know! I was going to put some in mine too, but we didn’t have any bread because the shops were shut! :D Thanks Aly!
I love strudel and love the idea of ginger too. My Italian mother in law made a delicious strudel, it never lasted long
Thanks Mari, that sounds amazing! The one at the hotel we stayed at was supposed to be Granny’s recipe too, I have emailed them. Let’s see if they let me have it when they get back from their hols! :D xx
That strudel looks amazing, I just don’t think I’d have the patience to make it! Mich x
I promise it’s easy and super quick! Thanks Michelle x
That looks absolutely delicious! I love the ginger – never thought of that. What a coincidence, I made Strudel for the first time last week (but I had to give it a second attempt as it was such a disaster …)
Have a lovely weekend!
Thanks so much Ginger! You too! :) x
That looks lovely Emma. I love anything flavoured with ginger.
We didn’t get any apples this year :-(
You could have had some of ours! Thanks Emma xx
My husband is going to love this recipe and he is OBSESSED with strudel!!
Greetings from a fellow expat in Germany :)
Hi Kate, nice to “meet” you! :) Glad you like the recipe! Let me know if your husband likes it! :)