Strucolo de pomi
The Triestine dish has adopted an Italian name deriving from the Slavic word strukllj, which is a take on the German word strudel.
• 300g puff pastry
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 100g Savoiardi biscuits (sponge fingers), crumbled
• 50g caster sugar
• 20g icing sugar
• 1.5 kg apples, peeled and diced
• 100g sultanas
• 100g pine nuts
• 2 tbsp rum
• 50g butter
• Zest of 1 lemon, grated
• Pinch of cinnamon
1. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and cook the apples, caster sugar and cinnamon over medium heat for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, soak the sultanas in the rum and a dash of warm water, then drain.
3. In a large bowl, combine the pine nuts, lemon zest, sultanas and 70g of the Savoiardi. Pour the mixture over the apples. Stir to combine the ingredients and set aside for around 1 hour.
4. Lay the puff pastry onto a pastry board to create a 50x35 cm-rectangle with a thickness of 2-3 mm.
5. Preheat oven to 220°C. Transfer the pastry onto the baking tray and sprinkle evenly with the remaining Savoiardi, followed by the filling.
6. Roll the pastry beginning with the longest side and brush the surfaces and edges with the egg yolk. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden.
7. Decorate with icing sugar and serve warm.