This is my sister's new go-to dessert. She arrived this morning with an unbaked apple strudel that had thawed on the drive up to our house. We just pulled it from the oven.According to Lori, one of the secrets of this very simple dessert is the treatment of the phyllo pastry. Each layer of pastry is brushed with melted butter, followed by a light dusting of sugar. The recipe makes three strudels, enough to bake one right away and have two in the freezer for a rainy day.
I was reading a cookbook the other day, in which the author was insisting that making your own phyllo dough was easy enough to do. The recipe, following the enticing introduction, needed a dough that was thicker than pre-made phyllo, but still quite thin. With enough coaxing, I would consider making my own phyllo pastry - maybe in about 10 or 15 years, when I can fit it into my schedule!
Apple Strudel
1 package phyllo dough
1/2 c. unsalted butter
3 T. granulated sugar
8 c. apples, peeled and sliced
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a small saucepan. In a large bowl, toss sliced apples with lemon juice, 1/3 c. sugar, flour and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. Unfold sheets of phyllo and keep covered with a dish towel. Take one sheet of phyllo and lay on a flat surface. Brush thoroughly with melted butter. Sprinkle with sugar and place another sheet of phyllo on top. Repeat until 5 sheets have been used, keeping the remaining phyllo covered at all times.
3. Place 1/3 of the apple mixture down the centre of the phyllo sheets, lengthwise. Fold the top over the apples lengthwise, fold in each end and then fold the bottom over. Flip so that the seam of dough is underneath. Gently place sideways on a parchment covered baking sheet. Repeat twice more. Once all three strudels are finished and on the baking sheet, brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle generously with sugar. Cut three slits diagonally on the tops of each strudel to vent the steam.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until the phyllo pastry is golden. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 3 strudels.
*If you are freezing one or two of the strudels for later, wrap carefully in 2 layers of plastic wrap and place in a flat area of your freezer or in a shallow plastic container. Allow to thaw before baking.
*A picture of my little nephew, Hugh, in honour of his favourite dessert.
