Easy Apple Strudel

 

This is my second recipe for the day; I had to post this as today is the day I overcame my fear of phyllo. While the result is not picture perfect, it is a first attempt working with phyllo and I wanted to share how easy it is to make a strudel within an hour. 

I have always associated phyllo with pastry chefs and baking experts and stayed away from using the box of phyllo dough I had in the freezer. This morning I moved it from the freezer to the fridge so I could try it out. The box had a recipe on it but I looked up some recipes online to see if there were any particular watch outs, the filling varied between pears and apples with the addition of dried fruits like figs or apricots. But once I read a few recipes, it was not so daunting.

One recipe called for brushing the phyllo with walnut oil instead of butter. I recently bought avocado oil which is what I used since I did not have any walnut oil. It was not too greasy, nor did it have any particular flavour, in fact, the cinnamon was the perfume in the house as this was baking. My next try will be a sweet ricotta with lemon rind and raisins.

Skill Level: Medium 

Serves: 8-10

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 packet frozen phyllo dough (1lb/454 g)
• 1/2 cup avocado oil
• 5 apples  (I used macintosh and crispin)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar + 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (the only kind of breadcrumbs I had on hand)
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

METHOD: 

1. Allow the phyllo to thaw in the refrigerator and work when it is room temperature
2. Once phyllo has thawed, brush oil on one sheet, then move it on to a sheet of wax paper
3. Place the next sheet on top of the first and then brush oil on that sheet
4. Repeat until you have a stack of 6 sheets
5. In a bowl, cut apples into thin slices, add lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon
6. Add breadcrumbs to the apples
7. Spoon the apple mixture on to the long side of the phyllo sheets (horizontally)
8. Gently roll the sheets until the end and tuck in the short end
9. Place the seam side down put put on to a baking sheet
10. Using a pair of scissors make small cuts on the surface to allow steam to escape
11. Brush oil on the surface and sprinkle with reserved sugar
12. 1 box of phyllo dough makes three strudels with 6 sheets each
13. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes before cutting