June Salanders Vermont Apple Strudel Food

CINNAMON APPLE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stack layers of dough brushing each layer with butter before topping with next layer. Brush top layer with butter. In a bowl combine apples, raisins, sugar and cinnamon. Spoon filling down the left longside of phyllo rectangle. Fold top edge down and bottom edge up by about 2 inches to cover filling. Roll dough up along long side to enclose filling. Brush log with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and puffed.

APPLE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork or whisk. Stir the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the apples and raisins and toss to coat.
• Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 16 x 12-inch rectangle. With the short side facing you, spoon the apple mixture onto the bottom half of the pastry sheet to within 1 inch of the edge. Roll up like a jelly roll. Place seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Tuck the ends under to seal. Brush the pastry with the egg mixture. Cut several slits in the top of the pastry.
• Bake for 35 minutes or until the strudel is golden brown. Let the strudel cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar, if desired.

APPLE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a small bowl, create a slurry by combining 1/4 cup of the apple juice with the cornstarch. Mix until smooth and set aside.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the apples with the remaining 1 cup apple juice, raisins, sugar and cinnamon until the apples are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir the cornstarch slurry (it may have settled) and add it to the apple mixture, stirring constantly until smooth and lump free. Simmer for 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and cool. Stir in the pecans, cover and chill.
• Lay out 1 phyllo sheet on a clean, flat, lightly floured surface. Brush with some melted butter and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs. Repeat this procedure with two more layers of phyllo, butter and breadcrumbs. Top with the fourth sheet of phyllo. Spread the apple filling evenly onto the phyllo surface, leaving a 1/2-inch clean edge on all sides. Roll into a log, folding the edges at each end beneath the log and brush with some melted butter. Carefully place the strudel on the prepared baking sheet, seam-side down. Bake the strudel until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before cutting into 2-inch slices. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar just before serving. Serve plain or with ice cream.

SALTED CARAMEL-APPLE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Make the caramel: Combine the granulated sugar, 1/3 cup water and the salt in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Cook, gently swirling the skillet occasionally but not stirring, until amber, 8 to 10 minutes. Brush any sugar crystals off the side of the skillet with a wet pastry brush. Remove from the heat and whisk in 3 tablespoons butter and the vinegar (the mixture will bubble).
• Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 12 minutes. Strain the apples and transfer to a bowl; set the caramel aside. Toss 1 tablespoon gingersnap crumbs and the cinnamon with the apples; let cool completely.
• Melt the remaining 5 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Let cool, then skim off the foam and discard. Spoon the melted butter into a bowl, leaving any solids in the pan.
• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a sheet of phyllo on a clean kitchen towel or piece of parchment with a long side in front of you. (Keep the remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel.) Lightly brush the phyllo with some of the melted butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Layer another sheet of phyllo on top; brush with more butter and sprinkle with more sugar. Repeat with the remaining 4 sheets of phyllo. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons gingersnap crumbs on top.
• Spoon the apple filling onto the phyllo in a strip along the bottom edge, leaving a 1-inch border. Use the towel or parchment to help roll the phyllo into a log, starting at the bottom edge. Place seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with more butter and sprinkle with more granulated sugar. Make a few slits on top with a knife to vent. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Beat the heavy cream in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, then gently fold in some of the reserved caramel (you may need to whisk the caramel first to loosen). Dust the strudel with confectioners' sugar and cut into pieces. Serve with the caramel whipped cream and more caramel; sprinkle with salt.

JUNE SALANDER'S VERMONT APPLE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 150 degrees or to it's lowest setting, and leave the door open.
• Or, make sure your kitchen is very warm.
• To make the dough, mix 3 cups of flour, sugar, and salt on a board.
• Make a well in the flour and pour into the well the oil and the water.
• Mix with a fork and then knead well with your hands, sprinkling on more flour as necessary until the dough forms a workable mass.
• Roll it back and forth to seal it.
• Using your hands, grasp a fistful of the portion nearest you, then swing your arm and slam it down treating the dough as you would a club.
• As it hits the board the dough will stretch.
• Keep taking additional fistfuls until the dough is pliable and does not show any tears.
• It should be as smooth and elastic as a baby's bottom.
• Gather the dough together, place it in a well-greased ceramic or wooden bowl, cover, and let rest in a warm place, either in the oven, which you will turn off now, ior a warm spot, for about 2-3 hours.
• (Although Mrs. Salander does not do this, you can also make the dough in a food processor, pulsing it until it is as smooth as possible.) On a table or other flat surface that is at least 3 feet by 5 feet, spread a clean sheet or old tablecloth so that the edges hang slightly over the sides.
• Sprinkle the sheet with flour and roll out the dough to form a 9 X 11 inch rectangle.
• Then with your fingers press the dough out as thin as possible, trying not to make any tears in the dough.
• Then, using your hands, start stretching from the center, drawing your fingers over the entire length of the dough, manipulating it from underneath, and gently lifting the dough with your fingertips until you can read a newspaper through it.
• The novice may want to ask a friend to help stretch the dough.
• When you are finished, the dough will cover the entire table's surface.
• Try to minimize the number of holes, but a few won't matter.
• Pull off any thickened edge of unstretched dough.
• Let the dough dry for about 5 minutes.
• Peel and chop the apples.
• Scatter them along the wide edge of the dough in a loing mound about 2 to 3 inches wide and 1 to 2 inches high, leaving about a 2 inch border of dough.
• Sprinkle the apples with the sugar and cinnamon.
• Drop dollops of jam over the apples.
• Sprinkle the cake crumbs over the rest of the dough-- this will keep the layers separate-- and drizzle the oil over the same stretched dough.
• Taking hold of the sheet on the 5-foot side, lift the sheet up and over the apples to start rolling up the dough jelly-roll style.
• When completely rolled, roll the strudel back and forth to gently seal.
• It will be about 3 inches in diameter.
• Take a little oil in your hands and rub on the tob and sides of the strudel.
• Please a greased jelly-roll pan or cookie sheet next to the strudel.
• Using your hands, gently lift one half of the strudel on the sheet or pan and then carefully transfer the rest onto the cookie sheet.
• You may have to form the pastry into a large crescent or spiral or you may have to use 2 cookie sheets and break the strudel in half.
• In you break it in half make sure to seal the ends.
• If desired, you can freeze the strudel at this point.
• Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven on the top rack of the oven for 45 minutes or until golden.
• If the strudel begins to brown too quickly, lower the heat.
• Remove from the oven and immediately brush the strudel with the apple juices surrounding it.
• Let it rest on the cookie sheet until lukewarm.
• Slice and serve.
• Tip: You can add nuts and raisins if you like.
• You can also substitute pears for the apples, adding some fresh ground ginger.
• Tip: A shortcut dough is Pepperidge Farms' puff pastry.
• Use the above filling without the cake crumbs and 4 sheets of the pastry.

EASY APPLE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place apples in a large bowl. Stir in brown sugar and golden raisins; set aside. Place puff pastry on baking sheet. Roll lightly with a rolling pin. Arrange apple filling down the middle of the pastry lengthwise. Fold the pastry lengthwise around the mixture. Seal edges of pastry by using a bit of water on your fingers, and rubbing the pastry edges together. Whisk egg and milk together, and brush onto top of pastry.
• Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown.