Light & Leafy

Way back when I started playing WoW, before I was serious about it, Lisa Poisso and Amanda Dean wrote a FABULOUS column at WoW-Insider called “Well Fed Buff” giving players a chance to experiment with their out-of-game playing skills. The column has been inactive for about 2 years now, but I loved it so much I’m trying to recreate it here. While the style of the post is their idea (because I loved it so much), the writing and the recipe are my own.

Pre-Raid Info
Every time I see a mage opening up a refreshment table, my tummy starts to growl. Even though Edainne rarely needs to sit and drink for mana, it’s always nice to have a warm bite of strudel to indulge in while sitting in the cold, dank hallways of Ice Crown.

The Raid Team

1 sheet puff pastry dough
2 large Granny Smith apples
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
Cinnamon to taste

The Strat

1. Buff The Raid Group Heat oven to 375. Take the dough out of the packaging and allow it to rest.
2. Carefully start to dps. Peel and cut the apples into ¼” thick slices. An easy way to do this is to cut the apples in half across the stem, then halve the apples twice more. Once you have the apple in eighths, carefully remove the remaining core by cutting a “v” in the middle (see diagram below). From there, you can put the apple flat side down on a cutting board and come out with nice, even slices.

3. Stack the raid. In a large bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon and sugar. Add the apples, tossing them to make sure each slice is evenly coated. Lightly sprinkle the vanilla extract over the coated apples.
4. Spread out! On a floured surface, roll out the pastry dough so you have approximately a 12”x16” rectangle of pastry. It doesn’t have to be quite even or pretty, just long enough so you can roll the dough upon itself multiple times.
5. Time to kite the adds. Spoon the apples onto the short side of the pastry. Very carefully, pick up that edge of the dough and begin to roll it on top of itself, like you would do with a jelly roll.
6. Kill all the adds before phase 2. Place on a non-greased baking sheet with the seam of the strudel facing downwards. Beat the egg in a small bowl with a tablespoon of water, then brush on top of the strudel before baking.
7. Full out DPS! Bake for 35 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown. Serve immediately, or allow it to cool to room temperature.

Hardmode Achievement: “You say apple, I say….”
If you happen to prefer another fruit, you can substitute it for the two apples. Generally speaking, you’ll need about ¾ of a cup to create the filling. The sugar and flour used are to create the ooey gooey filling, not to change the flavor, so keep their proportions as recommended. Tart fruits really compliment the buttery dough, so try it with pineapple, berries, ripe peaches, and cherries!

Hardmode Achievement: “Doughboy”
If activated, the pre-made pastry dough will vanish and the raid group will have to make this recipe from scratch. NOT recommended for new raiders, as pastry dough is extremely fickle and fragile.

*as a side note: Sorry about the lack of posts everyone! I’ve recently gotten a new set of duties at work that I’ve been spending most of my time training for, and I was sick most of  the last week =( But now that I’m no longer sneezing every 3 seconds, posts should resume a more regular schedule. Thanks for your patience <3*