From the bible to the Greece of Paris and Venus; from ancient Egypt to Norse mythology…you certainly can’t deny that apples have played a leading role in the story of humanity!
Whether it is due to its many virtues (as a bearer of love, youth and even immortality) or its sweet, pleasing taste, the fact is that the apple has played a decidedly important role in the gastronomical history of many countries in the world. In Italy they were produced principally in Trentino, in the region of Veneto and in the Valle D’Aosta.
For the most part apples are used in sweet dishes and desserts but, not infrequently, they appear in meat dishes in central and northern Europe. Nonetheless, the recipe that has made the apple famous is the strudel trentino (apple strudel): a role of pastry, apples, raisins and sugar that goes perfectly with soft and fragrant white wines such as Canti’s Asti Docg.
Ingredients for 6:
- 250 gr of flour
- 100 ml of water
- 2 spoons of oil
- 1 egg
- salt
- 1,5 kg of Golden Delicious apples
- 150 gr of butter
- 2 spoons of cinnamon
- 150 gr of breadcrumbs
- 50 gr of pine nuts
- 100 gr of raisins
- 100 gr of sugar
- 4 spoons of rum
Pour the flour onto a pastry board and add the egg, a pinch of salt and the oil, knead energetically and slowly add the water until the mixture is smooth and elastic. Make the pastry into a ball, cover with cling film and leave it to rest for half an hour.
Soak the raisins in the rum and toast the breadcrumbs in a little butter. Peel the apples and cut into thin slices, put them in a basin and add the raisins, the cinnamon, sugar and pine nuts. Set the oven to 200° and roll the pastry out thinly into a rectangle, grease with butter, then sprinkle on half of the breadcrumbs leaving a border of 2-3cm.
Add the apple mixture and then roll up the strudel along the longest edge being careful not to tear the pastry. Place the strudel on a greased baking tray, add a light covering of butter and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes.