Apfelstrudel (Classic German Apple Strudel)
Prep time: 35-40 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes at 350 degrees
Makes 2 Strudels
Ingredients:
For the dough:
• Purchase Phyllo dough in your grocery store frozen section and let thaw in refrigerator overnight
• ½ Cup Melted unsalted butter
• Cinnamon & Sugar Mixture
For the filling:
• ¾ cup coarse white bread crumbs
• ½ Cup, melted unsalted butter
• 4 Medium Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/3 Cup granulated sugar
• ¾ Cup dark raisins
• ¾ Cup coarsely crushed nuts
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped lemon zest
• 1/3 Cup melted unsalted butter
Preparation:
Thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight, open the package of Phyllo and lay the thin sheets on a clean work surface Cover the sheets with a piece of plastic wrap or a lightly damp kitchen towel; the sheets of Phyllo dry out very quickly if left uncovered. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the filling:
To make the coarse bread crumbs, toast slices of white bread in the oven until crisp, about 10 minutes. Break into pieces and place in a food processor. Pulse the processor until the bread resembles large bread crumbs. In a sauté pan, over medium heat, sauté the bread crumbs in 1/4 cup of the melted butter until they are golden brown. Reserve the sautéed bread crumbs and the remaining melted butter separately. Combine the sliced apples, granulated sugar, raisins, nuts, ground cinnamon, lemon zest and about half of the bread crumbs.
To Assemble:
Place one of the sheets of Phyllo on the counter and lightly brush with some of the melted butter. Repeat this procedure with 1 more sheet of Phyllo then sprinkle a little cinnamon/sugar mixture repeat with every 2 sheets for a total of 6 layers. Use half the apple filling and repeat for second strudel. Place the apple filling next to the long edge of the dough closest to you. Form the filling into a thick log. Brush some of the reserved melted butter generously over the remainder of the dough. Sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs over the dough, roll the strudel as you would a jelly roll, starting from the filling side. Place the strudel, seam side down, in a log shape on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the strudel with the last of the melted butter. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees oven F for about 20 minutes, Remove the pan from the oven and cool. Slice the strudel into individual servings and serve either warm or at room temperature with your favorite vanilla ice cream.