Apple Strudel

Apple strudel is the perfect ending to a fall/winter meal. It’s sweet but light and oh so simple to make. Strudel is an Austrian dessert, and the original version uses a homemade dough that’s gently stretched paper thin.

In our bakery, my grandfather always taught us that if you could read the newspaper through the dough, you knew it was pulled thin enough. As you would imagine, it’s a bit of a tedious job. Thankfully, you can easily substitute phyllo dough or puff pastry and still have delicious results.

Best Apple Strudel

YIELDS 1 STRUDEL

• 1 sheet puff pastry or 6 sheets phyllo dough
• 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced thinly
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup golden raisins (optional)
• ¼ cup plain bread crumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• ¼ cup coarse sugar (see note)

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with baking paper.

Roll out puff pastry sheet nice and thin. If using phyllo dough, lay one sheet flat and brush with melted margarine or oil. Top with a second sheet, brush again with oil or margarine, and continue to layer the remaining sheets.