sweets

strudel

In the article we will refer only to the sweet strudel, in particular to that of apples, excluding the particular versions (pear strudel, rhubarb, blueberries, ricotta, jam, coconut etc.) and the savory ones to use as an appetizer or first course (eg. vegetable strudel, sauerkraut, etc.).

Generality

Strudel is a typical dessert of Alpine mountain cuisine; as regards Italy, it is mainly produced in the regions: Trentino Alto Adige, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Like many recipes of the extreme north, even the strudel has no well-defined origins, and to understand whether it was born on one side or the other with respect to the current borders (national and Austrian) is certainly not an easy task. The term "strudel" itself was coined during the Austro-Hungarian Empire; as readers will know, the territory in question also included the current ones: Tyrol, northern Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia. It is therefore no coincidence that most of the cookbooks that illustrate the making of strudel are written in German or German-Austrian. We recall, in this regard, that in certain Italian places the Nordic German language is still used much more than the Italian one.

Reasoning in historical terms, the strudel seems to be the great-grandson of a much older dessert: baklava . This preparation is present in the mountainous areas of central Europe, of the Balkan peninsula and of Greece, and in the Mediterranean side which affects the Middle East, North Africa and the south of Spain. The scholars have therefore linked the dessert recipe to the surface of the Eastern Roman Empire. So much for the traditional dessert!

There are many variations and apple recipes of apple strudel, but they all come together for the use of a dough (puff or pastry) and a filling based on the well-known fruit (par excellence, apples from the Val di Non). Other commonly used ingredients are: sugar, sultanas, pine nuts, walnuts, cinnamon, lemon peel, liqueurs or spirits; sometimes it is possible to find chocolate, breadcrumbs, rhubarb, wild berries, etc. in strudel.

The traditional strudel (apple strudel) is a mildly caloric sweet, although the nutritional characteristics vary considerably from recipe to recipe; it is not a food suitable for slimming diets or those against metabolic diseases (type 2 diabetes mellitus and hyperlipemias).

Strudel is not a particularly difficult dessert to prepare at home, even if, as often happens, the distinction between a good strudel and a mediocre dessert lies precisely in the attention to detail. Some small examples are: the degree of processing of the dough - which must be very low to prevent the heat of the hands from altering its consistency (we therefore recommend washing them in cold water) - and the thickness of the dough, which must be thinner possible. In this regard, an old Austrian saying suggests that " the strudel puff pastry is ready only when it is so transparent that if you place a love letter under it you must read the words! "

Easy and Quick Browse Strudel

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One of the classic recipes for apple strudel

To provide a more precise indication on the formulation of this dish, below we will summarize one of the most common recipes for apple strudel:

Nutritional composition per 100g of apple strudel (values ​​derived from the translation of the aforementioned recipe)

Nutritional values ​​(per 100 g of edible portion)

Edible part100.0%
water51.6g
Protein3.2g
Prevailing amino acids-
Limiting amino acid-
Lipids TOT6.7g
Saturated fatty acids3.3g
Monounsaturated fatty acids2.1g
Polyunsaturated fatty acids1.3g
Cholesterol36.9mg
TOT Carbohydrates37.7g
Starch15.8g
Soluble sugars21.9g
Dietary fiber2.5g
Soluble-g
Insoluble-g
Power214.5kcal
Sodium106.5mg
Potassium174.5mg
Iron0.6mg
Football16.7mg
Phosphorus43.1mg
Thiamine0.07mg
Riboflavin0.06mg
Niacin0.40mg
Vitamin A47.4 RAE
C vitamin2.6mg
Vitamin E0.3mg

Ingredients for strudel

  • For the strudel pasta: 300g of type 00 flour, 200g of granulated sugar, 100g of butter, 1 egg, butter and QB flour for the oven plate, salt until QB.
  • For the filling of the strudel: 1000g of whole Golden Delicius apples, 200g of sultanas, 50g of pine nuts, 6 chopped walnuts, 1 grated lemon rind, cinnamon QB, QB milk, QB brandy.
  • To complete the strudel: 1 chicken egg yolk, QB icing sugar.

Procedure for strudel

Make a dough made from egg, flour, a pinch of salt, butter softened into pieces, a little milk and a bit of grappa. Knead until it reaches a smooth and elastic mixture, then let it rest 30 '. Meanwhile, peel and cut the apples into wedges, add the chopped walnuts, sultanas, pine nuts, granulated sugar, lemon zest, a pinch of cinnamon and allow to macerate for 20 minutes.

Roll out the dough into a thin rectangular sheet, pour the macerated filling into it, leaving a border of 5cm all around; then close (using the clean edges and, possibly, removing the excess) obtaining the classic "filoncino" shape. Place the strudel on a greased and floured plate, brush the surface with beaten egg yolk and melted butter. Finally, use a small knife (or scissor) to make "chimneys" (small cuts) through which the vapors will come out during cooking.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200 ° C for 40 '(in this case, an electric oven); serve the strudel in slices sprinkled with icing sugar.

Video Recipe for the Light variant - Apple Strudel with Poor Pasta

Nutritional characteristics

Strudel is a traditional dessert with nutritional characteristics of: medium-high energy intake, high content of simple carbohydrates and prevalence of saturated fatty acids on the total (not too abundant). These aspects make strudel a product not suitable for the diet of overweight individuals, those suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus and, in excessive portions, even those who have hyperlipemias (hypertriglyceridaemia and / or hypercholesterolemia). Among other things, the strudel recipe illustrated above does NOT include the use of puff pastry; otherwise, the intake of saturated fat and cholesterol would be higher than mentioned.

Proteins are scarce and dietary fiber seems sufficient. From a saline and vitamin point of view, the strudel does not demonstrate any noteworthy level.