Here's a healthier twist on my original Apple turnover/strudel recipe. Not only is it delicious and fast, but you can make a scrumptious dessert with some leftover pizza dough and still have it be healthy. So many people are watching what they eat these days and always looking for healthier recipes.
Again, you can use leftover dough if you have some or simply whip up some fresh dough. I can tell you your family will enjoy this just as much! If you are looking into watching your fat and sugar intake, then this is the recipe for you. We keep all the flavors but eliminate the processed fats and refined sugars.
Here we go! This is a very simple recipe and I can tell you that you will be making this recipe very often, for sure! The best part is that it is very low in fat , and the bit we do use will be virgin coconut oil which is healthy fat. We will also eliminate white sugar completely, and add all natural sugars to this recipe!!
Again, the best part is that most of these ingredients are most likely already in your kitchen. If not, you have to go out and pick up what your missing to try this low fat yumminess. How great is it when you can enjoy dessert without having to feel guilty!
" I'm a vegan. It makes me feel really good and bright." ~Lea Michele
Date paste:
650 grams soft dates
filtered water
Directions:
Remove pits from dates and place in a bowl
Add filtered water to cover dates.
Soak for at least 2 hours
Drain water from dates and reserve for later use
Blend or crush dates into a paste ( I used a nutribullet )
Time to make our dough...
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Spelt flour dough:
3 cups spelt flour
1 pkg. quick rise yeast
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 1/4 cup warm water
Directions:
In a bowl, add the spelt flour and yeast and mix it well. Add in the maple syrup and olive oil. Slowly add your warm water and mix with a spatula until it forms into a sticky ball of dough that pulls away from sides of a large bowl. Knead for about 3-4 minutes. You can also use a stand-mixer to mix your dough which will make your life much easier. ( If your dough is too sticky and wet to manage, add a little flour ).
Cover the bowl with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
Gently punch down your dough with oiled finger tips, and knead for about 20 seconds or so. Cover and let it rise a second time. ( Make sure to sprinkle flour if your dough is too sticky and keep your fingers oiled. We want a nice soft dough, but not too wet and sticky that you cannot handle it. )
Time to cook our apples...
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Apple filling:
2 gala apples, peeled & sliced
2 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil
3 tbsp maple syrup
1/8 to 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/16 tsp cardamom
pinch of ground clove
salt to taste
1/4 cup date water
Directions:
Add all ingredients in a pan and cook apples till nice and tender.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Strudel Filling:
date paste
cold pressed coconut oil
cinnamon, to taste
1/4 cup dark chocolate bits
1/4 cup raisins
cacao powder, to taste
cooked apples
Directions:
Press and roll out your pizza dough with a rolling pin on a piece of floured parchment paper. ( this will make life easy for you when tranferring the strudel onto a baking sheet ). Make sure to flour your dough as you stretch it out.
Stretch out your dough to your desired shape, let it be round or rectangular, approximately 1/4 inch in thickness.
Place your parchment paper that is now holding your stretched out dough onto a baking sheet.
Start off by spreading the date paste. You want to cover your dough fully. Sprinkle on some cinnamon ( How much is really up to you. I always love cinnamon so I do not shy away with the cinnamon ).
Now add your chocolate bits and raisins, and some more coconut oil in small dollops.
Sprinkle some cacao powder and spread your apples in the center of your dough lengthwise.
Gently flip the left side of the dough towards the right side, covering your apples, and then flipping the right side over to the left side. You can use the parchment paper to help you flip your dough over which makes life so much easier.
With a sharp knife cut slits on top of your strudel and place into a preheated 400F oven for 25 minutes.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Icing:
2 tbsp date paste ( or 7 small dates )
4 tbsp maple syrup ( if using dates rather thn the paste use extra maple )
1 tbsp cacao powder
1 1/2 tsp cold pressed coconut oil
note: if your icing is way too thick, add more maple to thin it out a little
Directions:
Drizzle over strudel...( make sure it is cooled off before adding your icing sugar )
Note: I also grate some raw sugar on top ( optional ). Enjoy!!!
You can watch the video here for references: