APPLE STRUDEL

This is one of my favourite desserts. September in Italy is the month in which the apples are picked, so when Autumn comes, it is very common to make apple cakes and desserts. And the strudel, if served with warm custard , can be amazing....it's very very simple to make but for a good result, you need a good puff pastry and good apples. You can change the ingredients if you like, sometimes I put walnuts or pinenuts instead of almonds, a peach instead of an apple, figues instead of prunes....it depends on what I have in the kitchen at the moment!!!


Ingredients:

1 roll of puff pastry
2 sweet apples
80 gr sultanas
20/25 peeled almonds
10 dry pitted prunes
A generous cinnamon dusting
1 lemon
1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar
4 or 5 tablespoons of jam (possibly damson)
A small piece of unsalted butter
Custard (optional)


Turn the oven on to 170 degrees.

Soak the sultanas in lukewarm water and leave them there for about 1 hour.

In the meantime cut the apples into small chunks, the almonds in halves and the prunes in 2 or 4 pieces. Add the grated lemon peel, the sugar, the cinnamon, the sultanas and mix.

Open the puff pastry sheet and put it on a piece of baking paper; spread the jam on it and then add all the ingredients. Fold it and brush it with melted butter (put the butter in a small saucepan and melt over a gentle heat or melt in a small bowl in the microwave). For a lighter version, brush with milk.

Cook it in the oven for about 40 minutes or until golden.

When it’s cold, dust it with icing sugar. Serve it possibly with warm custard.