so far i’ve found inspiration in cookbooks and online blogs, but i thought this month i’d reference something a little closer to home: a family recipe! i most certainly don’t have any recipes i’ve made up myself so decided to try and tackle stanka’s strudel.

in going through some old files, my dad stumbled upon a handful of family recipes and, knowing how much i enjoy baking and cooking, sent several my way. a few looked pretty intimidating, but the strudel recipe intrigued me just enough. flaky dough with fruity, tart filling. what could go wrong? thankfully, not a ton. 🙂

i’ve never made a strudel and wouldn’t say i’ve had my fair share so couldn’t quite wrap my head around the construction of this european treat. i know trial and error are part of trying new things, but with the power of the internet at my fingertips, i decided to do a little reconnaissance. my first and only necessary stop? youtube! i stumbled upon this charming fellow and his easy-to-follow apple strudel recipe. like lots of folks, sometimes i learn best with a visual aid, so after a few watches, i felt ready to go.

pastry dough rolled thin? check.

apples thinly sliced atop the crushed graham cracker? check.

dates, raisins, and walnuts layered next? check, check, check.

next up was the rolling. this step had me a little nervous just because the dough was pretty thin and the toppings were many. but i followed john’s advice and used the towel to help get everything nicely wrapped and snug and oh momma. look at the size of this thing! i texted this picture to my aunt cindy and she replied (word for word), “damn girl, that looks fabulous!” thanks, aunt cindy. 🙂

while i cleaned up my very messy countertops, i let the oven do all the hard work. an hour and 15 minutes later, i had crispy strudel with piping hot, ooey, gooey fillings. i really didn’t have anything to compare it to but thought, after a few bites, that it wasn’t half bad. it definitely gave pastry vibes, and i certainly hadn’t skimped on the filling. however, i found i don’t like dates as much as i thought i do and wished i had less of those and more raisins and walnuts. i also don’t think a little additional sugar or cinnamon/nutmeg would have hurt. regardless, it was very satisfying seeing this treat through from start to finish, and i still scooped up every bite from my plate. also, i like to think this kind of bake can bring back sweet memories of simpler times with the ones we love. bon appetit!