Embrace the joy of cooking for yourself! This personal-sized apple strudel is a testament to the fact that you don’t need a special occasion to treat yourself. Every bite you take is a celebration of your effort, care, and love. Happy baking!
Mixing Bowls For preparing the dough and mixing the filling.
Rolling Pin For rolling out the dough.
Knife & Cutting Board For peeling, coring, and thinly slicing the apples.
Measuring Spoons & Cups To measure ingredients accurately.
Zester or Grater For zesting the lemon
Ingredients
For the Filling
1medium-sized apple (like Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1Tbspgranulated sugar
⅛Tbspground cinnamon
1tbspraisinsoptional
¼Zest of Lemon
½tbspunsalted buttermelted
1 walnutsfinely chopped or almonds (optional)
½tbsplemon juice
For the Dough
⅓cup all-purpose flour
1Tbspwarm water
½Tbspvegetable oil or melted butter
A tiny pinch of salt
For Assembling
1Tbspbread crumbs
½Tbspmelted unsalted butter
Instructions
Preparing the Dough
In a bowl, combine the flour and salt.Add the warm water and oil (or melted butter) to the flour mixture.Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. If it's too sticky, add a bit more flour. If it is too dry, add a bit more water.Cover the dough with a damp cloth and rest for about 30 minutes.
Preparing the Filling
In a mixing bowl, combine the apple slices, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, lemon zest, lemon juice, raisins (if using), and rum (if using). Mix well.
Rolling the Dough
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a very thin rectangle.Brush the entire surface of the dough with some melted butter.
Assembling the Strudel
Sprinkle bread crumbs on half of the dough.Spread the apple filling over the bread crumbs.If using nuts, sprinkle them over the apples.Gently roll the dough up.
Baking
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).Place the strudel seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking tray.Brush the outside with the remaining melted butter.Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Serving
Remove from oven and let cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm, optionally, with a dusting of powdered sugar or a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
If the dough is difficult to stretch for one serving, it's okay if it's a bit thicker. Just adjust the baking time accordingly.Store-bought phyllo or puff pastry can be a quicker alternative, but the portion and texture might vary.