Apple Strudel (made with phyllo dough)

Total Time

Prep: 35 min. Cook: 30 min.

Makes

10 servings

Updated: Apr. 05, 2024

Apple strudels are common in Central Europe. In Czech Republic, where my husband is from, they make stretched strudel dough from scratch, but I find that to be pretty difficult to get right. Instead, I use phyllo dough, which I can find in my grocer’s frozen section usually near the Cool Whip and/or frozen fruit or puff pastry. The only reason I say raisins are optional, is because I don’t like raisins. Use them, if you do.

Ingredients

6 cups tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
2 tsp lemon juice
¾ cup sugar (or 1/2 cup if you prefer less sweet)
2 tsp cinnamon
¾ cup walnuts, chopped fine, plus 4 Tbs chopped walnuts set aside
3/4 cup raisins (optional)
8 ounces phyllo pastry (1/2 box), thawed
1 to 1 1/2 cups butter, melted (do not use margarine)
1 cup fine white breadcrumbs
Confectioner’s sugar (optional for serving)
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (optional for serving)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Peel, core and slice apples, drizzling and tossing apple slices half-way through with lemon juice to prevent browning. Combine prepared apples with sugar, cinnamon, walnuts and optional raisins.

Put 1 phyllo sheet on a very large cookie sheet (with sides) length-wise. [Be sure the first phyllo sheet is not ripped in any way.] You can first put a piece of parchment paper, the size of the cookie sheet, on the cookie sheet, if desired, but this is not necessary.

Place a second sheet on top and brush lightly with butter.

Repeat process until 5 or 6 sheets have been brushed lightly with butter on top of previous sheets.

In a small saucepan, melt ¼ cup of butter. Stir in bread crumbs and stir until lightly browned.
Sprinkle half of the crumbs on the layered phyllo dough’s top layer.

Spoon half of the apple filling down the middle of the phyllo dough long end, leaving a 2-inch border at the top, bottom and sides.

Fold the top and bottom of all phyllo dough layers onto the apple mixture. Pick up the right side of all folded phyllo layers (together) and roll over the apple mixture,. Then pick up the left side of all phyllo layers (together) and close the strudel (tightly), rolling the strudel over so that the seam is on the bottom. If there is parchment paper on the sheet, you can roll the strudel over using the parchment paper and then pull the paper back into position.

Brush the top of the strudel generously with butter and sprinkle with 2 Tbs of chopped walnuts. Carefully shift the strudel to the side of the cookie sheet to leave room for assembling the second strudel.

Repeat the entire procedure above for the second strudel, working next to the completed first strudel. It may be easier to fold over the left side of the phyllo dough first, and then the right side, especially if you’re using parchment paper to help with the process.

Bake the strudels at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until browned. Cool, and then transfer carefully to serving platters, using a thin spatula to loosen underneath, if not using parchment paper. Sift confectioner’s sugar on top before serving. Tastes great served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.