I call them mini strudels because they taste almost like the traditional Czech pastry.  While the latter has a much more complicated recipe/ingredients for the dough, this one is, by far, the easiest dough I have ever made from scratch.  And trust me, I have made a lot.

Just a quick backstory:  My co-teacher got the idea from TV though she couldn’t remember what program it was.  Yes, it’s supposed to be for an apple strudel but the first time I made it, I immediately thought it would be great for baked dumplings instead.  The traditional Czech strudel is dense and soft to the bite while this one is a bit on the crunchy and puffy side.  Nevertheless, it’s an awesome option.

This recipe makes 4- 5 dumplings or one small strudel.  Double or triple the amount if you would like to make more.  In this batch I doubled the ingredients so I made two balls of dough and came up with 8 medium size dumplings.

DOUGH:

• 150 g pomazánkové maslo*
• 150 g all-purpose flour*

* If you live outside the Czech Rep, Philadelphia cream cheese, or any cream cheese would be the closest substitute.

* The flour and cheese should be of the same amount; e.g, 100 g pomazánkové maslo  =100 g flour.

FILLING:

• 2 peeled and chopped golden delicious apples
• 1 pack cinnamon sugar (or simply mix sugar with cinnamon)
• melted butter

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Mix cream cheese and flour on a board with both hands.   Knead till dough forms into a ball.  Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.

2.  Peel and chop apples and mix them with cinnamon sugar in a bowl.

3.  Roll the dough to form a log.  Cut to divide into equal pieces.  Use a rolling pin to flatten each piece.  Brush with melted butter.

4.  Fill with the chopped apples and wrap into balls.

4.  Brush top with melted butter and sprinkle with sliced almonds (optional).  Bake in a pre-heated 180°C until dumplings turn light brown.  Let cool.

5.  Enjoy!  I ate all 8 pieces in less than two days! I specially liked them the next day for breakfast.  Except for breads, I usually like eating my baked stuff the next day or even later when the crust isn’t hot and crumbly and when I can taste all the flavors in one bite.

PS:  It’s a lovely morning here in Prague.  The sun is up and the sky is blue.  The sakuras are already blooming and the chilly spring wind seems to be taking a break.  I think I’ll bake these dumplings again to make this day even more lovely.

Happy Friday everybody!