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Apple Strudel for #SundaySupper

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Apple Strudel With Vanilla Sauce

Fall is here and that means apple season! What a sheer pleasure to bite into a crisp, juicy, fresh picked apple. The markets are filled with them and many go apple picking. What to do with the harvest? Bake, of course. What is my favorite baked apple dessert? Apple strudel made using a recipe from my family in Germany.

My mother has made the strudel several times. I decided to tackle the recipe for the Sunday Supper “Autumn Apple Party” event. I invited my mom to come over and help make them. It was a real learning experience. What I learned most are two things:

  1. The kind of flour you use matters in this recipe. Use bleached all-purpose. I made the first batch with organic unbleached all-purpose and they were tough. I made them a second time and they came out right. (Yes, mom, I made them again later in the week).
  2. Grated apples turn brown very fast if you grate them with a food processor. I do not know why. I recommend hand grating.

This apple strudel is not overly sweet. Most German desserts have a little sweetness but are not rich and sugary. It is served with vanilla sauce similar to crème anglaise. The recipe below includes the sauce. You can also serve it with ice cream or whipped cream. It is a wonderful dessert to follow a dinner of potato soup. Both are recipes from my German family.

How about some more apple recipes? Check out these from the Sunday Supper team:

Soups, Salads, Starters and Breads

Main Meals

Sides

Desserts

Beverages

Are you craving apple yet? What a list for sure. I’m glad I have it so I can satisfy a craving anytime whether it is sweet or savory.

Which kind of apple is your favorite? I prefer granny smith for baking and pink lady for eating. There are so many varieties available these days, I want to try a few more kinds. Which one do you suggest?

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. We love to pin recipes and photos so be sure to follow our #SundaySupper Pinterest board too.

Apple Strudel With Vanilla Sauce
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Apple Strudel With Vanilla Sauce

A recipe for homemade apple strudel served with a warm vanilla sauce.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 6 people
Author Renee

Ingredients

For the apple strudel:

  • 2 cups bleached all-purpose flour*
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/3 cup warm water tepid, not hot
  • 1/3 cup oil vegetable, canola, or extra-light olive
  • Sour cream
  • 4 to 5 tart baking apples; peeled cored, and grated
  • Sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 1/3 cup hot milk

For the vanilla sauce:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

For the apple strudel:

  1. Sift flour and salt together. In a small bowl, combine flour, warm water, and oil Stir to combine and turn out on to a work surface. Knead dough until smooth. Cover dough with a towel and allow it to rest for 1 hour.
  2. Preheat the oven to 385 degrees F.
  3. Divide dough into 5 or 6 equal pieces. Roll out one piece of dough on a floured surface until thin and about 6 to 7 inches square (or slightly rectangular). Spread a very thin layer of sour cream on the dough. Put about 1/2 to 3/4 cup grated apples on one end of the dough. Sprinkle the apples with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Roll up the dough beginning with the end with the apples. Pinch the dough to seal the ends and edges. Repeat process with each piece of dough.
  4. Pour the melted butter in a 9 X 13-inch baking sheet. Place the strudels in the pan and roll them around to coat each one with butter. Bake for 40 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and broil for a few minutes to lightly brown the top of the strudels. (Do not walk away, they will burn very quickly).
  5. Remove the strudels from the oven. Set the temperature to the oven back to 385 degrees F.
  6. Pour the hot milk over the strudels. Return pan to the oven and bake for 3 minutes until milk has been absorbed and/or evaporated. Remove strudels from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Transfer strudels to serving plates and serve warm with vanilla sauce.

For the vanilla sauce:

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar and flour. Add eggs and egg yolk and whisk to combine. Whisk in the heavy cream and half-and-half. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to thicken and just before it reaches a simmer. Remove pan from heat. Stir in the vanilla and pour the mixture into a bowl. Press plastic wrap to the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming. Serve warm or at room temperature.
  2. If the sauce becomes too thick, stir in hot milk, 1/4 cup at a time until desired consistency.

Recipe Notes

*Be sure to use bleached white all-purpose flour. Unbleached all-purpose flour will cause the dough to be tough.

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Comments

  1. Laura Hunter says

    This looks so delicious and I love the sound of your vanilla sauce. I prefer my desserts to not be too sweet and love it when apple desserts still manage to keep a slight tart taste to them. One of my favourite eating apples are gala.

    Reply

  4. Baker Street says

    Oh Renee! Your strudel looks heavenly and the luscious topping of vanilla sauce is just perfect to go with it. 🙂

    Reply

  5. sunithi says

    Always thought strudels were difficult to make. Yours look perfect 🙂 Love the colorful table cloth ! Good job ! Cooking with your mom sounds so fun ! Wish I could ! Mine lives far away 🙂

    Reply

  10. Lyn @LovelyPantry says

    This is absolutely delightful, Renee! The vanilla sauce looks tasty too! Thanks for the tip on using bleached flour (I generally use unbleached) I’m loving these apple recipes! Happy #SundaySupper!

    Reply

  12. Nicole @ Daily Dish Recipes says

    Oh Renee, this Apple Strudel looks AMAZING! That warm Vanilla Sauce looks absolutely scrumptious.
    I have noticed the same thing with grating with a food processor. I think it has something to do with the metal on the blade? I don’t know. Anyway, you’re right.
    And thank you for the tips on the whole flour thing. I am getting ridiculous using cake flour for everything lately, just because I want things to turn out softer and moister. I will follow your advice!

    Reply

  14. Soni says

    Such a lovely classic recipe of a streudel!!Love that you made it from scratch,something I’ve never tried!And that vanilla sauce looks divine!Have to try this for sure 🙂

    Reply

  27. Katie says

    I love that the strudel isn’t overly sweet: sometimes desserts that are too sugary just don’t do it for me. This sounds perfect with the vanilla sauce…

    Reply

  29. Conni @MrsMamaHen says

    I love German food, and strudel is no exception. At home, I rarely eat our or buy food from shops…in Germany? It was AMAZING!

    Reply

  32. Chris Baccus says

    I had a 6th grade teacher who rewarded our class with apple strudel from a local German bakery. Ever since then I have loved strudel, especially apple. Perhaps it’s time I try making some at home.

    Reply

  38. Susan says

    Interesting about the flour, must have to do with the amount of gluten. This looks wonderful Renee. I love sweets that aren’t too cloying, that way you can enjoy that scoop of ice cream or sauce on the side with it!

    Reply

  42. Nancy @ gottagetbaked says

    Apple strudel is one of my favourite pastries to eat. I love all the tips you gave in your post and the description of your strudel, especially the fact that it’s not too sweet. Thanks for sharing this wonderful family recipe (I’m sure it’s a thousand times better than the strudels I buy at the grocery store!).

    Reply

  44. Sarah says

    I have a small obsession with Germany. I took German in high school and college and always wanted to visit. May have something to do with my architecture background and German Architects. Your strudel looks amazing and I am dieing to try your vanilla cream sauce!

    Reply

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