Apple Strudel – Once Upon a Chef

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Apple strudel, a flaky phyllo pastry filled with brandy-soaked raisins, apples and walnuts, is delicious any time of day with a cup of coffee.

Apple strudel is a traditional Viennese pastry filled with brandy-soaked raisins, apples, and chopped walnuts. Traditional strudel dough is made from scratch, rolled, and stretched over a table until it is paper-thin. (It’s as tedious as it sounds!) The modern shortcut is to use store-bought phyllo dough, a tissue-thin dough used for making flaky European and Middle Eastern pastries, such as baklava and spanakopita. There are a few tricks to working with phyllo dough, but once you get the hang of it, it’s easy. Apple strudel is meant to be eaten for dessert or any time of day with a cup of coffee. The recipe can be multiplied for a crowd, prepared ahead of time, or frozen to bake at a later date. Serve the strudel on its own, with whipped cream, or with vanilla ice cream.

What You’ll Need To Make Apple Strudel

You can find phyllo dough it in the freezer section of most grocery stores (be sure to thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before using).

For the apples, be sure to use baking apples that hold their shape when cooked, otherwise you’ll end up with applesauce. Some readily available baking apples include: Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, and Fuji. And, if possible, use a mix of different varietals for better flavor.

Panko may seem like an unusual ingredient for a dessert like this; it serves to soak up the excess juice that the apples give off while baking. When at the store, make sure you select the plain version of panko as it is usually placed right next to panko seasoned with Italian herbs.

How To Make Apple Strudel

Unlike most strudel recipes, this one calls for cooking the apples first before rolling them up in the dough. This ensures that they soften adequately, and also ensures that they don’t exude too much liquid while baking, which would make the pastry soggy.

To begin, in a large skillet, combine the apples, granulated sugar, cinnamon, brandy, raisins, and salt.

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid from the apples dissolves and the apples are soft, 10 to 12 minutes.

Stir in the walnuts.

Set aside to cool.

Wet and wring out a clean dishtowel. Have the melted butter nearby with a brush. Unroll the phyllo and cover it with the plastic wrap from the package or a sheet of wax paper, followed by the damp towel; keep it covered as you work so it doesn’t dry out.

Place 1 phyllo sheet on a clean work surface with the long side facing you. Brush the sheet with melted butter.

Layer with four additional phyllo sheets, brushing each layer with the melted butter. (You should have a stack of five buttery sheets.)

Spread half of the panko in a 3 by 10-inch rectangle about 2 inches from the bottom of the phyllo sheets and about 2 inches from each side.

Spread half of the apple mixture on top of the panko.

Fold the sides of the phyllo over the filling, then fold the bottom edge of the phyllo over filling.

Roll up jelly-roll style and carefully transfer to the prepared baking sheet.

Brush the top of the strudels with the remaining butter.

With a sharp knife, cut diagonal slits in 2-in intervals through the top layers of the dough just to the filling.

Bake until the strudels are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool for at least 20 minutes.  Transfer the strudels to a cutting board and slice each one into thirds or quarters. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, then serve warm or room temperature.

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Apple Strudel

Apple strudel, a flaky phyllo pastry filled with brandy-soaked raisins, apples and walnuts, is delicious any time of day with a cup of coffee.

Ingredients

• 3

  large (about

  1½ lbs

  ) baking apples, peeled, cored and sliced ⅛-in thick (see note)

• ⅓ cup

  granulated sugar

• ½ teaspoon

  cinnamon

• 2 tablespoons

  apple brandy or regular brandy

• ½ cup

  raisins

• Pinch

  salt

• ½ cup

  walnuts, very finely chopped

• 10

  (

  9×14-in

  ) sheets phyllo dough, thawed

• 1 stick (½ cup)

  unsalted butter

• ¼ cup

  panko bread crumbs

• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, combine the apples, granulated sugar, cinnamon, brandy, raisins, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid from the apples dissolves and the apples are soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the walnuts and set aside to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to

   350°F

   and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a 13 x 18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Wet and wring out a clean dishtowel. Have the melted butter nearby with a brush. Unroll the phyllo and cover it with the plastic wrap from the package (it’s usually rolled in a sheet of plastic) or a sheet of wax paper, followed by the damp towel; keep it covered as you work so it doesn’t dry out. (Note: if you work quickly, you don’t need to be quite as careful about this.)
4. Place 1 phyllo sheet on a clean work surface with the long side facing you. Brush the sheet with melted butter. You may find it easier to drizzle a bit of butter on the dough with the brush and then spread it across the dough in gentle strokes. Layer with four additional phyllo sheets, brushing each layer with the melted butter. (You should have a stack of five buttery sheets.)
5. Spread half of the panko followed by half of the apple mixture (on top of the panko) in a 3 by 10-inch rectangle about 2 inches from the bottom of the phyllo sheets and about 2 inches from each side. Fold the sides of the phyllo over the filling, then fold the bottom edge of the phyllo over the filling. Roll up jelly-roll style and carefully transfer to the prepared baking sheet, seam side down. Repeat the process with the remaining phyllo sheets and apple filling. Brush the top of the strudels with the remaining butter. With a sharp knife, cut diagonal slits in 2-in intervals through the top layers of the dough just to the filling.
6. Bake until the strudels are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool for at least 20 minutes. Transfer the strudels to a cutting board and slice each one into thirds or quarters. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, then serve warm or room temperature.
7. Note: Readily available baking apples include Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Jonagold, and Honey Crisp. Use a mix of different varieties for best results.
8. Note: Phyllo is more forgiving than you think. If it tears, just patch it back together with your fingers.
9. Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions: 
   You can prepare the strudel rolls and refrigerate them for up to 2 hours before baking. You can also wrap the individual rolls in heavy-duty aluminum foil and freeze for a few months; just keep in mind that frozen strudel rolls will take a bit longer to cook. (Leftovers reheat well in a

   300°F

   oven or toaster oven.)

Nutrition Information

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• Per serving (6 servings)
• Serving size:

  8

• Calories:

  294

• Fat:

  14 g

• Saturated fat:

  8 g

• Carbohydrates:

  38 g

• Sugar:

  20 g

• Fiber:

  3 g

• Protein:

  3 g

• Sodium:

  158 mg

• Cholesterol:

  31 mg

Nutritional Data Disclaimer

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

See more recipes:

• Breakfast & Brunch
• Cakes, Pies & Tarts
• Desserts
• Freezer-Friendly
• Fruit
• Fruit
• Make-Ahead
• Austrian
• Jewish
• A La Mode
• Apples
• Boozy
• Christmas
• Dried Fruit
• Fall
• Jewish Holiday Recipes
• Panko
• Phyllo
• Thanksgiving
• Winter

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