Name: Northern Italian Apple Strudel ~ Strudel di Mele
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 2 h
Cuisine: American and Italian
Ingredients: 5 medium sized apples: #1 choice: Honeycrisp, #2 – Braeburn, or #3 – Gravenstein. Peeled, cored, and cut into ½ inch slices (or chunks) and some people grate the apples; ¾ cup plus 1 Tbsp apple juice or cider, divided; 1 vanilla bean; Juice of 1 lemon + zest of one lemon; 1 cup sultana or golden raisins; brandy or grappa; ⅓ cup sugar; 1 Tsp Calvados for the apple filling PLUS 1 cup for the raisins to marinate; 1 cinnamon stick; ⅓ cup LIGHT brown sugar; 1 teaspoon cornstarch; 10 sheets of phyllo/filo dough at room temperature; ½ cup butter, melted; slivered almonds or pine nuts; 2/3 cup breadcrumbs or panko; 2 Tablespoons sugar

Ingredients

Units Scale

APPLE FILLING

5 medium sized apples: #1 choice: Honeycrisp, #2 – Braeburn, or #3 – Gravenstein. Peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch slices (or chunks) and some people grate the apples
3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp apple juice or cider, divided
1 vanilla bean
Juice of 1 lemon + zest of one lemon
1 cup sultana or golden raisins
brandy or grappa
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tsp Calvados for the apple filling PLUS 1 cup for the raisins to marinate
1 cinnamon stick
1/3 cup LIGHT brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

STRUDEL PASTRY

10 sheets of phyllo/filo dough at room temperature
1/2 cup butter, melted
slivered almonds or pine nuts
2/3 cup breadcrumbs or panko
2 Tablespoons sugar

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 F degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
2. First thaw out frozen puff/phyllo bread OR make your own pastry dough. Since I teach full time, I don’t have any extra minutes in any day, so I buy store-bought pastry dough. Remove the dough to a lightly-floured, flat, wooden surface and knead until the dough is smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate.
3. Put the raisins in brandy or Calvados liquor to soak while you continue cooking.
4. Toast the breadcrumbs with a tablespoon or so of butter for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Cool down the breadcrumbs before using them in the recipe.
5. While the dough is thawing, make the filling.
6. In a saucepan, combine 1 cup of apple juice with 1 Tablespoon Calvados liquor, cinnamon, and vanilla bean. Allow this to simmer for 5 minutes until it is halfway reduced. Discard the vanilla bean and cinnamon.
7. In a large bowl mix together the apples (grated, sliced or chunks), and white and brown sugar, marinated raisins (but no liquid), and slivered almonds
8. Mix cornstarch in 1 Tablespoon of apple juice, then add this back into the saucepan with the apples.
9. Add the apples cook until liquid is thick and boiling. Cool.
10. Mix the breadcrumbs/Panko and 2 Tablespoonw of sugar in a small bowl; set aside.
11. Take the phyllo / filo sheets or puff pastry dough and cut 3″ off of 9 sheets of phyllo or 1 solid puff pastry dough. Try to cut / roll into a square shap rather than a rectangle. Save anything unused for another use. Cover the sheets or the puff pastry with a damp plastic wrap and then a damp towel.
12. PHYLLO DOUGH METHOD: Place a dry kitchen towel on the counter. Place one piece of filo on the towel and brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat with second sheet of filo. After brushing the second sheet with butter, sprinkle scant 2 Tablespoons of the Panko-Sugar mixture then repeat 2 more times and ending with the last 3 sheets, simply layer and brush with butter only (no breadcrumbs / Panko). Roll up the strudel at one end and pinch the two ends shut. Brush with egg wash or plain melted butter, sprinkle regualar syrup all over the top. Then sprinkle with slivered almonds.
13. PUFF PASTRY DOUGH METHOD: Roll out the dough on a dry towel with a little flour sprinked on top. Brush melted butter all over one side (facing up) of the dough. Sprinkle toasted breadcrumbs on top. Sprinkle a handful of sugar all over. Add the filling down the middle of the dough. Sprinkle the brandied raisins on top (not using any of the liquid). Roll up the strudel at one end and pinch the two ends shut. You can also cut the dough into strips and fold over the filling to look like a braid. Brush with egg wash or plain melted butter, sift powdered sugar all over the top. Then sprinkle with slivered almonds.
14. Spoon the apple filling along the side of the dough that’s closest to you in a lengthy and thick mound on the dough, leaving 1 inch empty on each side where you will ‘pinch’ the dough shut.
15. Use a towel to roll the dough up like a jelly roll. Push any escaped apples back into the strudel. Place the strudel seam side down onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
16. Brush the top with melted butter and drizzle generously with regular white sugar.
17. It’s optional, but you can cut digaonal slits/slashes across the top of the strudel into the strudel
18. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes until golden brown. Cover the top of the strudels with aluminum foil towards the end of baking time to prevent darkening.
19. When finished baking, remove the apple strudel to cool off on the baking sheet. This makes it easier to cut.