If there’s one thing we had an overload of on our recent Danube River cruise, it was apple strudel. Oh, do the Austrians and Germans love the stuff.  And so does my husband. It’s not my favorite dessert, but it’s definitely a crowd please and because of that, on board ship our chef gave a demonstration of how to make the perfect apple strudel, and then served us some.

(I should tell you that our head housekeeper also gave a towel-folding demonstration, which I meant to attend just for grins, but forgot about. Later, when I saw leftover towels folded in the shape of swans, I realized I hadn’t missed much.)

But back to the apple strudel recipe. Here it is, and I guarantee you it will fill up one of those vacation days you’re taking.

Apple Strudel Recipe

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Peel apples and cut into thin slices. Gently brown biscuit crumbs in butter. Combine all filling ingredients together.
3. Mix flour, salt, oil and water. Kneed together with the kneading hook on mixer for about 10 min. until dough is smooth and elastic. Roll dough into ball and brush with butter. Use a sharp knife to cut a cross atop the ball of dough, then leave to rest at room temperature for two hours, wrapped in cling wrap.
4. Sprinkle patterned tablecloth evenly with flour. Roll dough out as thinly as possible. Place your hands, stretched out flat, under the dough and draw the dough over the back of your hand so it becomes thinner and thinner. The dough will be done when the tablecloth pattern is recognizable through the dough, or when you can read newspaper print through it.
5. Fill and roll the strudel together, being sure to use the tablecloth to help you by raising the end with the filled dough just enough that the strudel becomes to roll on its own. Grease strudel with melted butter and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Or, save yourself all this work and buy in an authentic bakery.