Recipe: Apple and date strudel

Apple and date strudel. Photo / Babiche Martens

Serves 6

Pastry
• 2 cups plain flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 150g butter
• ½ cup milk

Filling
• 2½ cup chopped apple
• zest of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup date puree (reserve to fold though whipped cream)

Date puree
• 1 cup dates soaked in 1 cup of boiling water for 15 minutes, drain and then puree.

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Into a bowl sift flour, baking powder, salt, and add the sugar.

2. Cut butter in cubes and rub into flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add milk and combine to form a soft dough.

3. In a bowl toss apples with lemon, half the sugar and half the cinnamon.

4. Roll dough into a 20 x 30cm rectangle. Cover with date puree, apples, sugar and cinnamon.

5. Roll, and seal with a little water. Brush with a little extra butter, and roll in remaining sugar and cinnamon mix.

6. Bake for 30 minutes, until crisp and brown.

- VIVA