Inglourious Basterds (2009)- Apple Strudel
Indulge in the Magic of Apple Strudel
In Quentin Tarantino’s hit movie Inglourious Basterds one of the most memorable scenes involves an apple strudel. The dessert plays a small but significant role in the film and has since become a favourite among fans of the movie. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the history of apple strudel and how you can make it at home.
Apple strudel is a traditional dessert from Austria and is made by wrapping thinly stretched pastry around a sweet apple filling. It’s typically served warm with a dusting of powdered sugar and a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. The dessert has been popular in Europe since the 18th century and has since spread around the world, becoming a favourite of many.
In “Inglourious Basterds,” the character of Shosanna (played by Melanie Laurent) shares an apple strudel with Colonel Hans Landa (played by Christoph Waltz). The scene is tense and full of suspense, with the two characters engaging in a battle of wits as they eat the delicious dessert.
If you’re a fan of the movie and want to recreate the apple strudel at home, it’s surprisingly easy to make. All you need is some puff pastry, apples, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Simply peel and chop the apples, mix them with the other ingredients, and place them on a sheet of puff pastry. Roll up the pastry, brush with egg wash, and bake until golden brown.
Apple strudel is the perfect dessert for any occasion, whether you’re looking for a comforting treat on a cold winter day or a sweet ending to a dinner party. And for fans of “Inglourious Basterds,” it’s a way to feel like you’re a part of the movie’s world.
How to make an Apple Strudel
Course: DessertDifficulty: **Apple strudel is a dessert with a controversial history. The earliest records date back to the 8th century BC, in an Assyrian manuscript describing a recipe with layers of puff pastry or unleavened bread, nuts and honey. Arriving in Greece and then Turkey, the dessert gave life to various preparations, including baklava, but it was only in the 16th century that – thanks to the expansion of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent – it reached Hungary, where apples were probably added for the first time. Walnuts were then replaced by pine nuts and over time, after the conquest of Hungary by Austria, the dessert began to become popular among the Viennese aristocratic salons.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups bread flour
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 egg whites
¼ tsp salt
½ Tbsp of lemon juice
¼ cup of warm water (approximately 110°F)
4 good baking apples, peeled (such as granny smith)
½ cup sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
½ cup raisins
Zest of 1 lemon
Some lemon juice (optional)
2 Tbsp melted butter
½ cup finely chopped hazelnuts and walnuts
1 beaten egg
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp sugar
Directions
- In a medium bowl, place bread flour and make a little well in the middle. In that well, pour vegetable oil, egg whites, salt, and lemon juice. Give this a little mix with your hands until it just barely comes together. Add warm water and mix with your hands until it forms a semi-cohesive dough. Add flour if too sticky, but not too much.
- Flour your worktop and just knead the hell out of the dough. Seriously, pound it against the table. Take your frustrations out on the dough until you end up with a soft and supple dough. When finished, place in an oiled bowl and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Peel and finely chop the apples. Place them in a large bowl and season with sugar, cinnamon, raisins, lemon zest, and lemon juice (if you want to prevent the apples from browning). Add a few tablespoons of flour to soak up the moisture. Allow resting for 30 minutes.
- Cover table in large, clean tablecloth and liberally dust with flour. Plop down your dough and dust your rolling pin with flour. Roll out until it is a large circle, about 18-24 inches wide. Dust your knuckles and carefully pick up your dough. Rotate the dough with your fists carefully, like a fragile pizza pie. Get it as large as you can without tearing it and then set it down. Slowly tug at the edges until it is thin enough so you can see the pattern of the tablecloth through the dough. Slice the rough edges off.
- Using a pastry brush, drizzle the dough with the melted butter. Gently brush the butter so every square inch is covered with melted butter. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts and hazelnuts all over the buttered dough.
- Place a generous row of spiced apples at the end of the dough square. Using the tablecloth, roll the dough onto itself. Tuck the edges and brush with some more butter. Repeat until the strudel is all rolled up. Seal the edges.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place strudel on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush down with beaten egg. Place in the oven. Every ten minutes, brush the strudel with melted butter. It should bake for about an hour or until golden brown. Leave on a wire rack to cool.
- After cooled, cut into the strudel. Dust the piece with powdered sugar and don’t forget the whipped cream.
- Place heavy cream and sugar into a bowl. Using a hand mixer, whip the cream and sugar together.
- If you desire, place the whipped cream into a piping bag and pipe it into a bowl, making a nice little mountain of cream. Spoon on top of the pastry.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Besides linguistic ability (or lack thereof), food is the primary means for social manipulation inInglourious Basterds and the grandmaster of the film’s particular brand of gastronomic chess is Christoph Waltz’s sublime, despicable Colonel Hans Landa. It’s hard not to love a villain who’s a foodie, and who, more importantly, uses food as his chief means of asserting power.
