Clash of palette knives over dessert's origins

APPLE strudel is a tasty, fruity treat that provides a base of buttery dough surrounding naturally-sweetened apples.

It's a delightful dish that is often eaten as a dessert, but some people 'cheat' and enjoy it as a breakfast pastry!

This out-of-fashion dish dates back to medieval times when apple strudel consisted of a centre of apple slices, cinnamon, sugar and sometimes a handful of raisins. The ingredients are wrapped in crispy layers of pastry that puff up when baked in the oven. Often served with a dusting of icing sugar and a dollop of thick cream or custard, the apple strudel is a delicious display of comfort food at its finest, but sadly not seen nowadays.

Although many people think that this sweet dish has German origins, apple strudel is actually an Austrian dessert, hailing from Vienna. The name strudel does originate from Germany and means whirlpool, as the pastry looks like the inside of a whirlpool. In fact, the original recipe for apple strudel dates back to 1697. Soon after its first recording, the dessert gained popularity throughout the Austro-Hungarian empire in the 18th century, making it an icon of culture. The Viennese are the ones who made this dish famous with its delicate, thin layers of dough and sweet, tart apple filling, believed to have been influenced by the Turkish Baklava. But the pastry always seems to rouse strong emotions, with the Germans and Austrians clashing palette knives to this day!

Apple strudel is a pudding which deserves respect, and if you are thinking of picking one up from the freezer department of a supermarket, try my simple recipe first. There's no need to stretch out the dough to the size of a bed sheet, the apples sit neatly in thin slices that have a warm Christmastide feel about them.

Add some apples to the shopping list, you will thank me!

RECIPE

APPLE STRUDEL

Ingredients:

Strudel:

225g/8oz plain flour

Pinch of salt

1 egg

1 tablespoon oil

6 tablespoons warm water

Filling:

450g/1lb apples, peeled, cored and thinly cut

50g/2oz walnuts, chopped

50g/2oz raisins or sultanas

2 teaspoons mixed spice

50g/2oz brown sugar

2 tablespoons brandy, optional

2 tablespoons white breadcrumbs

25g/1oz butter for frying

40g/1.5oz melted butter to glaze

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/Gas Mark 7 and line a large baking tray with baking paper, sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, and add the egg with the oil and water to make a rough dough.

2. Work the dough well on a floured work surface till it becomes smooth and elastic, return back to the bowl and cover with a tea towel and rest for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, mix the sliced apples with the walnuts, sultanas, mixed spice, sugar and brandy in a bowl, and fry the breadcrumbs in butter until golden brown.

4. Place a tea towel onto the work surface, dust it with flour, then roll and stretch the dough as thin as possible into a large rectangle shape.

5. Brush the melted butter over the dough, sprinkle over the breadcrumbs, spread over the apple mixture evenly, then use the cloth to tightly roll into a sausage shape.

6. Bend the dough into a horseshoe shape and place onto the baking tray, brush the top with any remaining butter and bake for around 35 minutes or until crisp and golden, dust with icing sugar and serve hot, cut into slices, with custard.