The Apple Strudel Confession.....

I adapted the recipe below from the Hairy Biker's most recent book. If you have not already watched it - do tune in to their latest television series. Last week's episode was in Norway and hilariously funny... as well as showing some amazing places and baking. It's got to be the best thing on tv right now. The book looks pretty good too.

Flicking through the book, I found a strudel recipe which reminded me of a really funny family story (from when I was a little girl) that I must get mum to share !

Recipe Adapted from : The Hairy Biker's Big Book of Baking

6 sheets of filo pastry

approx 800g peeled and sliced eating apples (prepared weight)

50g breadcrumbs

90g caster sugar

70g raisins

2tsp cinnamon

60g melted butter

Preheat oven to 160 deg fan.

Mix sliced apples, sugar and raisins together and set aside.

Lay out a sheet of filo on top of a silicone rolling / work mat. Brush all over with melted butter and repeat with remaining filo sheets.

Scatter the bread crumbs over the top of the stack of filo sheets. Lay the apple / raisin mix on top.

Reduce the juices in the bottom of the bowl from the apples to a syrup and drizzle over the top. It's too good to waste !

Using the mat, roll up like a swiss roll. Place on top of a baking tray and bake for approx 40 minutes until crisp.

Dust liberally with icing sugar before slicing. 

Sarah-Jane Nash, March 2012

The Embarrassing Strudel

Once upon a time, (and this is a TRUE story!) many years ago, our little family of 4 were holidaying in Tenneriffe. We were living in a holiday flat at the top of a really steep hill (NOT called Los Gigantes for nothing!). Every morning we toddled down a couple of hundred steps to the village, and every morning, to help us get back up the steps again, we partook of some 'goodies' from the patisserie to fortify us on the way back up.

Towards the end of our holiday the calorie guilt set in. The patisserie was busy, so Simon and I went to   get a seat for us all outside, while Sarah-Jane and her dad waited in the queue.

"Just a single scoop of ice cream each for us, please, and you too..... Don't go getting too fancy now - let's watch the calories today!"

It was a long wait. The shop was so busy. After a while, a waitress came out to our table, and laid down  a lot of metal jugs and bowls, along with knives and forks rolled up in napkins. Mmmmm - interesting, "I wonder what all this is for?", we thought.

A few minutes later she came back - this time with an enormous oval platter with a giant apple strudel smothered in fresh cream!

WELL!!!

Simon and I just shook our heads and thought, "We're just having a little scoop of ice cream each, but THEY are having this enormous strudel between them! How greedy-gutsy is THAT!!!!???"

We were still waiting on Sarah-Jane and her dad coming out. There was no sign of them. They must be ordering something else too. "Let's have a taste of at this strudel! They'll never know!"

We scraped off some cream and dug out lots of great big juicy lumps of apple from the middle - just to 'TEST' it you see! We plastered the strudel back up to cover the gaping holes, licked our knives and forks clean, wrapped them back up in their napkins and sat back to wait...looking a 'picture of innocence'.

Soon after, the waitress came over, and took away all the teapots and things, and took them to another table. Great! we have more room now, and they were all empty anyway.

THEN, a BIG hefty-looking german man squeezed past us to the next table. He turned and looked at our lovely apple strudel - and said.

"ZIS VILL BE MINE!' .......and took the strudel and forks away!

Simon and I just LOOKED at each other!

Seconds later, Sarah-jane and her dad joined us with just four tiny scoops of ice cream... one each just as arranged. We couldn't even TELL them what happened as the big german was sitting behind us, tucking into the apple strudel....!!!! 

(Simon and I outside the Patisserie in Teneriffe)

Sarah-Jane - your strudel is really TINY, and you've forgotten all the lashings of fresh cream!   lol