20May
Apple Strudel
Apple Strudel
Servings
12
servingsTotal time
1
hour30
minutesStrudel is a great Eastern European Dessert Favourite. Store-bought phyllo dough is quite an acceptable substitute for the labor-intensive homemade phyllo sheets, and makes Strudel a snap to make. Strudel is quite versatile, and you make any number of exciting strudel variations, both savoury and sweet.
Use fresh bread crumbs, made by grinding a slice or two of unflavoured bread or challah in the food processor.
Ingredients
2 firm-ripe pears, peeled and finely diced
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
1/3 cup raisins or currants
1/3 cup sugar
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon
12 sheets phyllo dough
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely ground bread crumbs
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C.
- Mix all the filling ingredients together in a bowl.
- Take 1 sheet of the phyllo, place it flat on a cutting board with the short side facing you, and brush it lightly with oil.
- Repeat twice (3 sheets total).
- Place a quarter of the bread crumbs on the bottom short side of the phyllo.
- Place a quarter of the filling along the short end of the phyllo (meaning, right on top of the bread crumbs).
- Roll up tightly around the filling, then all the way up. Place the roll on a cookie sheet.
- Make 3 more strudel rolls, using 3 sheets of phyllo, a quarter of the bread crumbs and a quarter of the filling for each, and place them on the cookie sheet.
- Make sure the strudel rolls fit snugly on the cookie sheet, so that the filling doesn’t seep out of the open ends while baking.
- Fill any empty spaces with rolled-up foil “balls.”
- Using a sharp knife, score each strudel roll about 5 times, making the slits 2 inches apart.
- Brush the strudel rolls with oil.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is light brown and crisp.
- Cut the strudel along the scored lines with a sharp knife.
- Serve the strudel warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Variations:
You might want to try some variations on the strudel filling, such as half pear or half apple instead of all apples, or use dried cranberries, almonds, and ground ginger instead of raisins, walnuts, and cinnamon. If you decide to make the strudel with pitted fruit such as plums or peaches, add 3 tablespoons cornstarch to the filling to absorb the extra moisture.
