Recipe: German Apple Strudel

This recipe for apple strudel is very easy…. and oh so good. As many of you know from previous posts… I’m German-Hungarian and strudel is a wonderful memory from my childhood.

There was this bakery, Herbst’s, that made strudel. I would go to an Octoberfest and there they would be…. in their booth… selling long boxes containing 3 strips of strudel… oh they were so good. They had apple, cherry, cheese and a poppy seed filling to choose from… thankfully you could mix and match…. I loved… I mean loved the cheese….

Sadly, Herbst’s is no more…. but the memories live on. I have to figure out a recipe for the cheese filling…. and you will be the first to know about it… for sure.

TIPS

I know many people are intimidated by phyllo dough… but it really isn’t that hard to work with… you just need to follow a few tips that I can give you. See the directions below and my previous Tip of the Day on Handling Phyllo Dough Sheets.

When you are done using the phyllo dough... carefully roll up the dough and slip it back into the plastic bag and put back in the box. Seal the box and pop it back into the freezer of the refrigerator.

I made my filling this time using apple pie filling… then added raisins and a little brown sugar. Don’t use the entire can of pie filling… the filling will split the dough while baking… mine ended up with a sizeable split in the middle… but you know what?.... we ate it just the same and it was as good as the pieces that came out perfect. I would recommend you use about ½ to 2/3 of a can.

I hope you try this recipe and enjoy!






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Recipe: German Apple Strudel

All you need:

5 sheets of phyllo dough
½ stick melted butter
¼ cup plain bread crumbs
½- 2/3 can apple pie filling
¼ cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Powdered sugar for garnish
Fresh Whipped Cream (optional)

All you need to do:

Thaw the phyllo dough in the refrigerator overnight.

Set the dough out on the counter, with box still closed, for 1-2 hours to get the dough to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a bowl, mix the apple pie filling, raisins and brown sugar. Set aside.

Cover a cookie sheet with non-stick foil (from Reynolds Wrap). Set aside.

Melt the butter in the microwave. Have a pastry brush next to the butter. Set aside.

Make sure you have the plain bread crumbs in a small bowl within easy reach.

Wet and wring out a cotton towel (you can use a paper towel if you don’t have a cotton towel). Set aside.

On a large cutting board or counter top… open the box of phyllo dough and slowly and carefully unroll the package.

Remove one sheet and carefully lay it down on the work surface. Cover the remaining dough with the wet towel.

Carefully and GENTLY brush the sheet with melted butter. Do it patiently otherwise you will have tears. If you get tears… it should be okay …especially in the inner layers… but you really don’t want too many.

Sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Repeat this 4 more times, so you have 5 layers.

Place the pie filling down the middle of the dough.

Fold over one side of the dough, then the other side.

Carefully lift the strudel and place on the cookie sheet.

Brush the strudel with melted butter.

Bake for 50-55 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow to cool somewhat.

It’s wonderful to serve warm… but cold is good too.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

You can either slice it there and serve as individual servings (best idea)…or using two spatulas lift and put on a serving plate.

If serving individual servings... you can garnish with a dollop of fresh whipped cream on the side.

I like to slice it on the cookie sheet… because I can fold the foil over the leftovers for easy storage.