strudel surprise.

Walnut strudel.

Strudels can be made in 2 different ways. One where the pastry is thick and breaded, very much like a brioche as seen above. Or the pastry can be the complete opposite - paper thin. I didn't know.

When Hager Momma said she was going to make apple strudel I brought the walnut strudel to her to confirm the task ahead, she said No. Different. I show you. So she mixed up some dough in the machine, rounded it and set it to rest. One hour waiting. So I went outside and loaded up firewood in the meantime. 25 boxes of firewood later, I heard :

Ai Ming!
Yeah?!
Strudel making!!
Ok, coming!

When I went into the house, I saw the dining table had been cleared and a new tablecloth laid over it. This usually meant lunch was ready and I thought she's already finished with the strudel. It wasn't strudel making, it was strudel made.  Then instead of plates and cutlery, she came with a canister of flour and sprinkled flour onto the table cloth.

The rested dough was flattened in the middle of the table and slowly stretched out by going around the circumference and pulling it a bit at a time...

...until it is essentially a big piece of translucent pastry. Then melted butter was brushed on...

...cut apples were placed, breadcrumbs and cinnamon powder sprinkled...

...dollops of homemade jam were used instead of sugar...

...a flap of pastry was folded over and the table cloth carefully lifted to roll the filling into a strudel.

...then lifted into a buttered oven dish...

...more butter is brushed on the surface...

...after 50 minutes in the oven, this was the result.

I was plotting how I could skip most of lunch and have as much strudel as possible when the biggest surprise came. After the soup dishes were cleared, the strudel was brought onto the table and we were meant to eat the strudel as a main!

And so we did, with lots and lots of honey drizzled on it. 

 

I don't think I could have been any happier.