Inglorious Basterds and 27 Appelstroop for Perfection

Last year I watched “Inglorious Basterds”. Although WWII seems to be one of the most overused movie subjects, I was really impressed by the movie. I watched it in an old Canadian Cinema in PEC that was somewhat similar to the venue used in the movie. Being German and a fan of German pastry, I was wondering how many Appelstroops the diabolic SS-colonel actually had to eat until the saloon scene was perfect. Someone put the last bit of the scene actually on youtube.

Checking out some interviews it turns out that the correct answer is 27.

So how do you make this fine piece of Bakery?
Since the availability affordable of high quality pastries is quite limited in Canada, I'm going to share my recipe with you guys. You need:

• 500 g of wheat flour 
• 250 g of butter 
• 125 g of regular sugar 
• 75 g of confectioners sugar 
• 1 packet of vanilla sugar 
• 1 packed of baking powder 
• 2 eggs 
• 3 Tbsp of milk 
• 5 medium sized apples 
• 2 Tbsp Cinnamon
• Some raisins 
• Some rum

First: The dough
The dough mixture is pretty traditional. In Germany this thing is called “Muerbeteig” or 1-2-3 dough. You mix 3 parts of flour with 2 parts of butter and 1 part of sugar and one or two eggs (we'll divert a little from the original quantities). The traditional recipe is usually used for cookies and biscuits.

Very important: Crack one egg and separate the yolk from the white and keep both.

Put the other egg and the yolk into the centre of your “volcano” add the regular sugar, the butter (cold and sliced in small pieces), the baking powder, vanilla sugar, some rum, and the milk. Put the other egg white away in the fridge it will take some time until we need it.

Knead everything together quickly. If it takes too long, you are going to run into trouble since the butter will melt in your warm hands which will crack the dough. If the dough is cracky or looks to try you can fix it by doing the "volcano" again and adding some more milk. Form a ball from the kneaded dough. Let it sit for half an hour.

Second: The filling
Now churn the ball to a flat surface. 

Put the fine sliced apples, the raisins and some cinnamon and sugar on it (hint: mix cinnamon and sugar beforehand 1:1 and pour it over the dough and then the filling this saves some time). 

Roll it up and put it on a baking tray (the joint on the bottom). To roll it up you can actually cheat by putting it on aluminium wrap, like I did. The traditional style is to do it with a (flour-) dusted towel. With aluminium wrap it is more like doing a Sushi roll.

Coat it with the remaining egg white and some cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Bake it at 180C (350F) for 40 minutes. Thats how it looks like afterwards.

Third: Serve
It is best served warm. Add the icing sugar. Following “colonel Landas proposal” you may add cream (usually I do not). Now take the “Inglorious Basterds” DVD and watch it with some fine traditional German pastry and enjoy the movie!