Mennonite Apple Strudel recipe

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup warm water
5 cups sliced apples
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts
5 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Grated rind of 1 lemon

Sift the flour and salt together. Cut in the shortening and add the eggs and water. Knead well, then throw or beat the dough against a board until it blisters. Stand the dough in a warm place under a cloth for 20 minutes.

Cover the kitchen table with a small white cloth and flour it. Put the dough on it and pull it out with your hands very carefully to the thickness of tissue paper. Spread with a mixture of the fruits, sugar, melted butter, cinnamon and lemon rind. Fold in the outer edges of the dough and roll like a jellyroll - about 4 inches wide. Bake in a very hot oven (450 degrees F) for 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F and bake about 20 minutes longer. Let cool. Cut into slices about 2 inches wide. It should be flaky and moist.