Apple-pecan Strudel

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

           STRUDELS:
Make the dough: Place the butter in a bowl, and pour the hot water
over it, stirring to melt the butter. Add the egg and the vinegar,  and
mix in well. Add 2 cups of the flour and the salt, and stir until  a
sticky dough forms. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup flour on a  pastry
board, and knead the dough on it for about 5 minutes, until  the extra
flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth and shiny.  Divide the
dough in half, flattening both portions into 4 or 5-inch  rounds.
Refrigerate or freeze one round for later use. The amount of  remaining
dough may not look like enough to encase the filling, but  it will.
Cover it, and let it sit in a warm place. Some cooks put it  in a bowl
set in a  second bowl of warm water; others use a barely warmed
skillet.  Allowed to rest, the dough becomes soft and pliable.  While
the dough is resting, make the filling: Toss the apples with the
butter in a large bowl. Add the remaining filling ingredients, and mix
well.  Get ready to stretch the dough: Clear a table, and cover it with
a  thin smooth-surfaced dish towel. Sprinkle the towel with flour. (The
towel eventually helps support the paper-thin dough.) Plan to work
quickly once you get going. Center the dough on the towel, and pat it
out as thin as you can by hand. Then put your hands under the dough,
and start stretching it out from the center. Some people prefer to  use
their fingertips for this; others use their knuckles. We start  with
our fingertips, switching to the knuckles when the dough is  thinner
and can tear more easily.  To pull the dough evenly, you'll need either
to turn the towel around  periodically or to make your way around the
table, whichever is  easier. As the dough gets successively broader and
thinner, you'll be  able to tell where it still needs stretching by
looking at it - if  it's translucent, it's thin enough. Try to avoid
tearing the dough,  as it is difficult to patch. The edges will be
thicker, but you can  pull them thin or trim them off. You should end
up with something  resembling a rectangle at least 18 to 24    inches.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking sheet.  Melt the
remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Brush the dough, still  resting on
the towel, with about 2 tablespoons of it. Cover the dough  completely
with a single layer of the filling. Using the towel for  support, begin
rolling up one of the rectangle's longer sides jelly  roll-style. If
you ended up with tears in the dough concentrated in  any one area, try
to roll the strudel so that they will be hidden  within it. Roll the
strudel up snug, but don't make it extra tight,  because it needs some
room to expand while baking. Pinch it closed as  you go to help hold in
the juices.  When the strudel is rolled up completely, use the towel to
transfer  it from the table to the baking sheet positioned nearby. Form
the  strudel into a horseshoe to fit on the sheet. Brush it with the
remaining tablespoon of melted butter, and sprinkle it with the sugar.
Bake the strudel for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and
continue baking for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry
is lightly browned and just crisp. Let the strudel rest for at least
20 minutes before you cut it.  Serve the strudel warm in thick slices.
Yield: 12 servings  Recipe by: DEAN FEARING SHOW #HE1A09  Posted to
MC-Recipe Digest V1 #786 by Sue <suechef@sover.net> on Sep  17, 1997

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Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
----------------------------------------------
Calories: 4851
Calories From Fat: 2250
Total Fat: 259.7g
Cholesterol: 643.6mg
Sodium: 1899.7mg
Potassium: 2320.6mg
Carbohydrates: 609.5g
Fiber: 27.8g
Sugar: 322.4g
Protein: 55.8g