The strudel pie is born from a fusion of classic Italian and American cuisine. Referring to the famous Apple Pie, starting from a classic pie crust, its filling is enriched with rum raisins, walnuts, and lemon peel. A good and simple recipe, which can be appreciated even more with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.

Step 1: Ingredients

Traditional Pie Crust

315 g flour
200g butter
pinch of salt
2 tsp of sugar
120 ml water very cold

Filling

50 g of butter
750 g golden apple
60 g bread crumbs
50 g sultanas
1 tsp of cinnamon
lemon peel
2 tbs of rum
25 g of walnuts

Step 2: Step 1: Making the Traditional Pie Crust

To start, you've to whisk together the flour, a pinch of salt, and sugar. The salt is very important to enhance the flavor. Then add the cold cubed butter and cut it into the flour with a pastry cutter or a fork.

You want to see small pieces of buttered flour. You can also use a food processor to make your pie dough, but I recommend to do it all by hand, as the tradition wants.

Next, you've to slowly mix in the 120 ml ice water. Remember, just add the water one tablespoon at a time. You may not need the full amount, depends on the flour you choose but I used all of it. Only use enough ice water to get the dough to come together.

Once you add enough water, the mixture will start to look sticky and firm. Try not to use your hands too much when making the dough, because we want a cold mixture.

Once the dough comes together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pack it into a ball. Cut the dough in half and flatten it out into two discs. Wrap each disc of dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least one hour.

Step 3: Step 2: the Base of the Filling

First of all, let's soak the raisins in the rum and let them rest.

Meanwhile, in a pan melt 50 g of butter and when it sizzles toast the breadcrumbs. Mix with a wooden spoon so that it does not burn and let it brown for a few minutes, then turn off the heat and let it cool. Then peel the apples, removing their core, and cutting them into four wedges and then into thin slices.

Step 4: Step 3: Filling Making

Now its time to mix all the ingredients: pour the apples into a large bowl and add the sugar and the walnuts, the grated lemon peel, the cinnamon and the well drained and squeezed raisins.

The magic: the ingredients must release their perfumes, but they must not macerate for a long time because the sugar does not release too much water (this step differ from the classic apple pie).

Step 5: Step 4: Pie Makeup

Pick up the two pieces of dough from the fridge and roll them out on a lightly floured baking paper or a cloth, forming a circle of about 25 cm diameter (depending on the size of the cake tin).

Helping yourself with the rolling pin, cover the base of the cake pan. This is always the most difficult part but we want a homemade pie, so don't worry!

Sprinkle the base with the toasted breadcrumbs: this layer will serve to absorb the juices that the apples will release during cooking. Now it's the turn of the apples mixture and the cover all with the pastry.

The look I gave to this pie is a tribute for the Pi Day.

You have to make some holes to allow the cake to "breathe" during cooking.

Step 6: Step 5: Bake!

Cook the strudel pie in a pre-heated static oven at 200 ° for about 40 minutes (if ventilated at 180 ° for 30 minutes). When cooked, you can sprinkle the strudel with icing sugar and serve warm and cut into slices :D