Apfelschlangel... a buttery, soft and crumbly layer of short-crust pastry wrapped around tangy sweet cinnamon-spiced apples. A childhood favourite of mine and another recipe from home. Unlike its very famous and well-known cousin, the APFELSTRUDEL, the 'Apfelschlangel' is mostly known by us Austrians, and our German neighbours, I guess. The word 'Schlangel', also known as 'Schlangl' or 'Schlangerl' comes either from the word 'Schlange' = snake or queue, or 'schlängeln' = the wriggling, coiling movement of a snake or river, but both describing the long-stretched shape of the pie.
I think it looks so pretty (and Austrian) and seems quite elaborate, but is actually relatively quick to make. It is delicious served warm out of the oven, warmed in the microwave for a few seconds, but also at room temperature. Like with all things apple cake, it goes well with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on the side, but we like it just on its own, sprinkled with a little icing sugar. It is so full of flavour and texture, cinnamon-sweet, tangy and fresh, it really needs nothing on the side.
We make the Schlangel with a 'Gitter', = a 'grid' of pastry strips on top. I have seen other versions that have a full pastry layer on top, with the cake then almost resembling a Strudel. We like it better this way, also the pastry strips turn nice and crunchy during baking.
The one I made here is using the whole dough for one wide cake. You can also split the dough in half and make two narrower Schlangel.
So it's an apple-kind-of-snake-pie-cake... or whatever you want to call it. In any case, it's soooo delicious and deserves not at all to be in the shadow of its famous APFELSTRUDEL cousin. Running out of words to describe it - MUST BE TRIED! :-)
Recipe Source: Mutti (my mum's hand-written cook-book, original source unknown)
Makes app. 12-14 pieces
For the pastry:
300 g flour, sifted
100 g butter, at room temperature
1 egg
80 g icing sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 sachet vanilla sugar
pinch of salt
app. 35ml cold water
For the filling:
app. 1.2 kg apples (Jonagold, Cox), (app. 600 g peeled and grated)
50 g caster sugar
50 g raisins
1.5 to 2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 egg yolk and a little milk, lightly beaten
Also: large baking tray (30x40) and baking parchment
Pre-heat the oven to 190°/175°C fan. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the icing sugar, baking powder, Vanilla sugar and salt and mix well. Cut the butter into small cubes, add it to the flour and work it into the flour with a fork or your fingertips. Once the mixture resembles fine crumbs, add the egg and as much cold water little by little as needed (app. 35ml), just until the dough comes together. Don't overwork the dough. Shape it into a ball, then flatten it a bit. Wrap into cling film and put into the fridge for app. 30 mins to rest.
Peel the apples, then grate them immediately with a coarse grater (sprinkle with a little lemon juice to avoid browning). Mix with cinnamon, sugar and raisins.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin to app. 3 mm thickness into the shape of an oblong of app. ie 35x45cm, just a bit larger than the baking tray. Cut straight edges with a pastry cutter, keeping the off-cuts for later. The pastry should now be roughly the size of the baking tray, ie 30-40cm.
Transfer the pastry to the lined baking tray. This can be done by carefully rolling it onto the rolling pin and then unrolling it onto the baking tray (make sure the dough is sufficiently floured in order not to stick together during rolling). (If you prefer to make two narrower Schlangel, first place the pastry onto the baking tray as described above, then cut the pastry lengthwise into two equally sized halves with the dough cutter. Cut Then cut also the baking paper underneath in the same place. Finish each Schlangel individually following the steps below).
Distribute the apple filling evenly on the pastry, leaving 3-4 cm (a bit less if you make two Schlangel) of dough all around the edges uncovered. It is important to put the filling on the pastry after the pastry has been put on the baking tray as the Schlangel tends to get quite heavy once filled and becomes difficult to handle and transport while still unbaked.
Brush the dough edges with the beaten egg white. With the help of the baking paper (lift up the paper together with the dough flaps and fold them over the filling) first fold the short edges of the pastry over the apple filling, brush the folded edges with egg white, then fold over the long edges. (If you make two Schlangel, cutting the baking parchment in half lengthwise as described above, means you can use this technique also for two Schlangel.)
Roll out the remaining dough. Cut straight edges with the pastry cutter, then cut into strips of equal width. Lay the strips crosswise on top of the Schlangel, then brush the undersides of the strip ends with egg white to attach them to the Schlangel.
Lightly beat the egg yolk with a little milk and brush the Schlangel with the mixture. Place the Schlangel on the middle shelf into the pre-heated oven and bake for app. 30-40 mins or until the Schlangel is golden brown. Cover with alu foil towards the end if necessary to avoid that the Schlangel turns to dark.
Once baked, let the Schlangel cool on the baking tray. Serve warm or at room temperature, simply sprinkled with icing sugar.
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AUSTRIAN 'APFELSCHLANGEL'
(APPLE 'SNAKE CAKE'?)
Makes app. 12-14 pieces
For the pastry:
300 g flour, sifted
100 g butter, at room temperature
1 egg
80 g icing sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 sachet vanilla sugar
pinch of salt
app. 35ml cold water
For the filling:
app. 1.2 kg apples (Jonagold, Cox), (app. 600 g peeled and grated)
50 g caster sugar
50 g raisins
1.5 to 2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 egg yolk and a little milk, lightly beaten
Also: large baking tray (30x40) and baking parchment
1) Pre-heat the oven to 190°/175°C fan.
2) Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
Make the Dough:
3) Mix the dry ingredients: Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the icing sugar, baking powder, Vanilla sugar and salt and mix well.
4) Cut in the butter: Cut the butter into small cubes, add it to the flour and work it into the flour with a fork or your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
5) With egg and water make a dough: Add the egg and as much cold water little by little as needed (app. 35ml), just until the dough comes together. Don't overwork the dough. Shape it into a ball, then flatten it a bit.
6) Rest the dough: Wrap into cling film and put into the fridge for app. 30 mins to rest.
Make the apple filling:
7) Make the filling: Peel the apples, then grate them immediately with a coarse grater (sprinkle with a little lemon juice to avoid browning). Mix with cinnamon, sugar and raisins.
Make the Schlangel:
8) Roll out the pastry: Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin to app. 3 mm thickness into the shape of an oblong of app. ie 35x45cm, just a bit larger than the baking tray. Cut straight edges with a pastry cutter, keeping the off-cuts for later. The pastry should now be roughly the size of the baking tray, ie 30-40cm.
9) Transfer pastry to baking tray: Transfer the pastry to the lined baking tray. This can be done by carefully rolling it onto the rolling pin and then unrolling it onto the baking tray (make sure the dough is sufficiently floured in order not to stick together during rolling). (If you prefer to make two narrower Schlangel, first place the pastry onto the baking tray as described above, then cut the pastry lengthwise into two equally sized halves with the dough cutter. Cut Then cut also the baking paper underneath in the same place. Finish each Schlangel individually following the steps below).
10) Add the filling: Distribute the apple filling evenly on the pastry, leaving 3-4 cm (a bit less if you make two Schlangel) of dough all around the edges uncovered. It is important to put the filling on the pastry after the pastry has been put on the baking tray as the Schlangel tends to get quite heavy once filled and becomes difficult to handle and transport while still unbaked.
11) Fold the Schlangel: Brush the dough edges with the beaten egg white. With the help of the baking paper (lift up the paper together with the dough flaps and fold them over the filling) first fold the short edges of the pastry over the apple filling, brush the folded edges with egg white, then fold over the long edges. (If you make two Schlangel, cutting the baking parchment in half lengthwise as described above, means you can use this technique also for two Schlangel.)
12) Add dough strips as decoration: Roll out the remaining dough. Cut straight edges with the pastry cutter, then cut into strips of equal width. Lay the strips crosswise on top of the Schlangel, then brush the undersides of the strip ends with egg white to attach them to the Schlangel.
13) Brush with egg-wash: Lightly beat the egg yolk with a little milk and brush the Schlangel with the mixture.
14) Bake: Place the Schlangel on the middle shelf into the pre-heated oven and bake for app. 30-40 mins or until the Schlangel is golden brown. Cover with alu foil towards the end if necessary to avoid that the Schlangel turns to dark. Once baked, let the Schlangel cool on the baking tray.
15) Serve: Serve warm or at room temperature, simply sprinkled with icing sugar.
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