Do you have a favorite dessert? You’ll get a different answer depending on who you ask. Though some of us are more partial to classically sweet baked goods like cookies and cakes, others are more partial to creamy and cold treats like ice cream and sorbet. Still, if you live in United States, you know the saying that there’s nothing more American than baked apple pie—and we all probably have warm memories of eating slices of it with our families when we were kids. But a plain version of these pies can get old after a while.
Fortunately, we have a twist on the classic apple pie recipe that will make you rediscover your love for this classic dessert (and it looks a little fancier as well). That’s right, we’re going to teach you how to make a braided apple walnut strudel that take takes apple pie all the way back to its German roots. The taste is just as delicious as any baked apple dessert you’ve ever had, just with some added frills and walnuts thrown in for good measure. So let’s get started.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon of water
- 3 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 2 large Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored and sliced thinly)
- 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts
- 1 sheet of thawed puff pastry
- raw sugar
Here’s what you do:
1. Before anything else, make sure you have your oven preheating at 350 degrees. Get a baking sheet out and line it with parchment paper as well. After that, get a small mixing bowl and add your egg and your water. Beat them together with a fork until they’re well-combined.
2. In another bowl, throw in your brown sugar, flour and cinnamon and stir a few times to incorporate them. Add in your apple slices along with your walnuts and toss everything around to coat them.
3. Next, clear off a work surface and dust it well with some extra flour. Unfold your puff pastry and lightly dust the top of the dough with some additional flour as well. When you’re ready, roll it out into a rectangle that’s roughly 16 by 12 inches. Finally, place your rolled out dough carefully on your parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
4. Line up your coated apples length-wise on the pastry going all down the middle of the dough, leaving space on the edges. After that, cut slits about an inch apart going down the sides of the rectangle so that they’re about 1/2 an inch away from the apples. The result should be many little “strips” of dough still attached in the middle.
5. Now, start braiding the strips together from one end moving downward! Fold the strips inward over the apples alternating to “braid” the dough together. Keep working your way up until you’ve completely covered the apples on the inside. Finally, tuck your spare strips in at the end and fold them into the body of the dough. Brush the entire thing with egg wash and sprinkle it with some coarse sugar.
6. When your oven is ready, pop the strudel in for 35 minutes and let it bake until it’s golden brown. Be sure to rotate it halfway through the cook time! When it’s finally done, take it out and let it cool for about 20 minutes before slicing and serving with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
As you can see, this recipe is quite simple to make even though the results are more impressive and intricate than a standard American-style apple pie. Though the taste is about the same, this dish is a fun way to prepare a classic recipe for a party in a way that will have people talking. As always, have fun with this and make any adjustments you may desire.
Have you given this recipe a try? Leave a comment and let us know how it went.
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