Braided Strudel Recipes

EASY APPLE STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place apples in a large bowl. Stir in brown sugar and golden raisins; set aside. Place puff pastry on baking sheet. Roll lightly with a rolling pin. Arrange apple filling down the middle of the pastry lengthwise. Fold the pastry lengthwise around the mixture. Seal edges of pastry by using a bit of water on your fingers, and rubbing the pastry edges together. Whisk egg and milk together, and brush onto top of pastry.
• Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

STRUDEL DOUGH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
• Mix sugar, eggs and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a small bowl. Quickly stir into the flour mixture. Mix in approximately 1/2 the water. Knead into a soft, pliable dough, using more of the water as necessary.
• Cover dough with a tea towel and allow to sit at least 1 hour while desired filling is prepared. To use, divide into two parts. Cover half the dough with plastic wrap while you roll out the other.
• Carefully stretch the dough into paper thinness on a lightly floured surface (a clean cotton sheet is ideal) and lightly brush with remaining vegetable oil. Fill and bake as desired.

BREAKFAST STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Thaw pastry according to package directions, about 30 minutes.
• Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. add potatoes and sauté 5 minutes.
• Stir in bell pepper (can be red or green) and onion; sauté 3 minutes then add cubed ham.
• Add eggs cream cheese and orange juice in blender blend at medium till mixed well.
• Add eggs to the pan and scramble till set.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Refrigerate eggs while working with puff pastry.
• Unfold a pastry sheet on a work surface that's been lightly dusted with flour. Roll pastry lengthwise to 12X10 then transfer to a piece of parchment cut to fit a baking sheet. Trim pastry cut off top corners notch bottom to create flaps.
• Spoon half the egg mixture down the center; cut strips on both sides at a a 45 degree angle.
• Fold up the flaps at both ends, then braid the strips across the filling.
• Lift parchment and strudels onto baking sheets.
• Combine the remaining egg and water; brush over top of strudels. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 20-30 minutes, or until golden.
• Let cool 5 minutes before slicing.
• The ingredients in this can be altered in anyway -- I have used Italian sausage instead of ham and mozzarella cheese. You could do all kinds of different combinations.

BRAIDED PEACH STRUDEL

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400°F Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork. Stir the peaches, brown sugar, flour, pecans and vanilla extract in a large bowl.
• Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 14x12-inch rectangle. Spoon the peach mixture lengthwise down the center of the pastry. Cut slits 1 inch apart from the 2 sides of the pastry rectangle to within 1/2 inch of the peach mixture. Starting at one end, fold the pastry strips over the peach mixture, alternating sides, to cover the peach mixture. Brush the pastry with the egg mixture. Sprinkle with the coarse sugar. Place the pastry onto a baking sheet.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Let the pastry cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 20 minutes.

BRAIDED PUFF PASTRY STRUDEL WITH CARAMELIZED MUSHROOMS AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Defrost the puff pastry overnight and keep cold in the refrigerator.
• In a heavy skillet "dry sauté" the mushrooms (no oil, high heat), until you hear a popping sound in the pan. Lower the heat to medium and add the butter. Stir in the shallots and cook for about three minutes. Add the garlic and the thyme, season with the salt and pepper, and cook for a few more minutes, or, until the shallots are tender and caramelized.
• Chop the spinach and fold it into the above vegetable mixture. Cook briefly until it is wilted and reduced in volume. Empty the contents of the skillet into a medium bowl and set aside.
• Remove the casing from the sausages, crumble them, and place the loose sausage meat in the same skillet used for the vegetables (no need to add oil to the skillet, as the sausage will render some amount of fat while cooking). Cook the meat over medium heat until it is lightly browned and cooked through, stirring often. Add the fresh sage and cook for another minute.
• Remove from the heat and add the vegetable mixture back into the skillet. Fold half of the cheese in and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400° F.
• Lay out the first defrosted puff pastry sheet on a piece of parchment paper, lightly dusted with flour. Return the second roll of puff pastry to the refrigerator to keep cold. Unfold the puff pastry and, with a rolling pin dusted with flour, gently even it out to a ¼" thickness. You should have a square about 11" x 11". Trim off the top corners and then cut notches in the bottom (this will make the braid look neat). Carefully lift the parchment paper and place it on a baking sheet. Cut 1"-thick strips diagonally down both sides of the pastry leaving the center uncut. There should be an equal number of strips on both sides.
• Add half of the filling down the center of the puff pastry and sprinkle the half of the remaining shredded cheese on top of the filling. Fold the top and bottom flaps over the filling. Form the braid by crossing the strips diagonally over the filling, alternating from side to side as you go. When you get to the end, trim off any extra strips and tuck under any overhanging dough.
• Place the strudel in the refrigerator to keep the puff pastry cold. Repeat each of the above steps with the second piece of puff pastry and the remaining filling and cheese. Remove the baking sheet with the first strudel from the refrigerator. Place the second braid on the baking sheet, 2" apart from the first.
• Lightly brush the top only (not the sides) of the strudels with some egg wash. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and crispy, about 25 minutes. With a large spatula, remove the strudels to a rack and let them cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.