apple strudel in umbria {video}

If you don’t see desserts on this blog very often there is a reason. I usually never think of baking unless there is company coming over. That’s because, during the week or in the course of normal life I try to eat within reason. Since I go out to restaurants so often, and definitely over do it (for you my readers, it’s all for you) that when we eat at home I try my best to keep things on the light and healthy side of things. That means no dessert.

On the other hand, when I’m entertaining, how can I not have dessert? And I almost always have the best intentions to make something rich, slightly complicated, and delicious. It’s the complicated part that always gets me in trouble. After a day spent cooking away happily making a first and second course, and maybe a salad, I find that I’ve arrived at 6pm and still haven’t started dessert. Not only do I not have time, frankly, at that point, I don’t have the energy either.

So it’s either a quick text to one of my guests (‘did you say you wanted to pick up dessert?) or else I send Domenico around the corner for a half kilo of gelato. Either way works for me, and everyone’s happy in the end.

Except for you, my poor readers. I feel I’ve been letting you down in the baking department. Yes, there’s been the odd crostata every now and then, but does that really count? I’m hoping to make it all up to you  by providing you with recipes from other people who are much more skilled/organized than I am when it comes to planning the end of the meal.

While we were up at Laura’s a few weekends ago, Paola pulled this little number out of her bag of tricks. Paola arrived at 10:30 at Laura’s house, and within a few short hours had prepared the following for lunch: Wild Boar Ragu, Wild Boar Stew, Torta al Testo and Sauteed Chicory. All this in about 3 hours. And then, about 5 minutes before we were about to sit down to lunch she started making dessert.

As she started cutting up apples I assumed this would be something simple, like fruit salad maybe? But no, Paola was going to make an Apple Strudel (something that I had always thought of as beyond complicated) in the short time it would take us to eat our lunch.

Of course, Paola had a few tricks to make the process much more streamlined (she always does). Buying a roll of pre-made pasta sfoglia (puff pastry) at the supermarket was key. Once that part was done, the rest was super easy. She even made the crema inglese (Crème Anglaise) look simple.

A few tips from Paola: don’t over heat the crema inglese or it will curdle. Paola is so skilled she does this over direct heat. I would suggest heating over a pot of simmering water, just to be safe. You want the sauce to be slightly thickened, but still quite liquid and definitely served warm.

Another Paola trick: use a rolling pizza cutter to cut the strudel since it will keep the still warm slices with brittle flaky crust from falling apart.

And finally, as ever, serve on pretty plate. Pretty plates are key.

My next dinner party? I think I may even attempt this.